cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct Cell Printing With Microfabricated Quill-Pen Cantilevers

A novel direct cell printing technique has been developed to control and manipulate the position of cells on solid surfaces. The method utilizes microfabricated polymeric “quill-pen” cantilevers to transfer living cells onto a wide variety of surfaces. In contrast with existing cell deposition methods, such as ink jet or laser ablation methods, the quill-pen approach imparts minimal thermal and shear stress to cells, preserving cell viability and biological functionality. Deposition of both bacterial and mammalian cells into defined patterns has been demonstrated using this method. The size of printed, cell-containing droplets could be controlled by varying the geometry of the quill-pen stylus and by varying printing conditions such as contact time, relative humidity, and surface hydrophobicity. Initial experiments using 10 μm diameter polymer beads demonstrated that the number of beads per droplet could be controlled by varying spot size and particle concentration in the printing solution. Spots could be printed ranging from 20 μm and 100 μm in diameter with approximate volumes ranging from 1-250 pL. We demonstrated deposition of both cells and beads onto a variety of solid surfaces including agarose gel, polystyrene, polyethylene, and glass. Printed cells have also been immobilized on glass and polymer surfaces using biocompatible hydrogel materials (both alginic acid and hyaluronic acid-based matrices) as well as poly-L-lysine. Similar to polymer beads, the number of cells in printed droplets was shown to be dependent upon the size of the droplet, and could be varied by adjusting the concentration of cells present in the printing fluid. As few as one cell per spot could be achieved by adjusting these parameters. The viability and proliferation of printed cells has been evaluated using live optical imaging to observe cell growth and division. Both bacterial cells (Escherichia coli) and mammalian cells were able to divide and proliferate for at least 96 hr post-printing (experiments were discontinued after 96 hr). Live/dead staining was also used to confirm the viability of printed cells. Rat mammary adenocarcinoma MTLn3 cells and mouse embryonic stem cells were also shown to survive the printing process for at least 24 - 96 hr post-printing. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the printing method and its compatibility with a wide range of cell types. It is especially noteworthy that embryonic stem cells could survive the printing process (and proliferate on the printing substrate). This novel printing method has applications for tissue engineering, cell-to-cell signaling studies, and for directly interfacing cells with nanodevices and biosensors.
An expansion of rare lineage intestinal microbes characterizes rheumatoid arthritis

The adaptive immune response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is influenced by an interaction between host genetics and environment, particularly the host microbiome. Association of the gut microbiota with various diseases has been reported, though the specific components of the microbiota that affect the host response leading to disease remain unknown. However, there is limited information on the role of gut microbiota in RA. In this study we aimed to define a microbial and metabolite profile that could predict disease status. In addition, we aimed to generate a humanized model of arthritis to confirm the RA-associated microbe. To identify an RA biomarker profile, the 16S ribosomal DNA of fecal samples from RA patients, first-degree relatives (to rule out environment/background as confounding factors), and random healthy non-RA controls were sequenced. Analysis of metabolites and their association with specific taxa was performed to investigate a potential mechanistic link. The role of an RA-associated microbe was confirmed using a human epithelial cell line and a humanized mouse model of arthritis. Patients with RA exhibited decreased gut microbial diversity compared with controls, which correlated with disease duration and autoantibody levels. A taxon-level analysis suggested an expansion of rare taxa, Actinobacteria, with a decrease in abundant taxa in patients with RA compared with controls. Prediction models based on the random forests algorithm suggested that three genera, Collinsella, Eggerthella, and Faecalibacterium, segregated with RA. The abundance of Collinsella correlated strongly with high levels of alpha-aminoadipic acid and asparagine as well as production of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-17A. A role for Collinsella in altering gut permeability and disease severity was confirmed in experimental arthritis. These observations suggest dysbiosis in RA patients resulting from the abundance of certain rare bacterial lineages. A correlation between the intestinal microbiota and metabolic signatures could determine a predictive profile for disease causation and progression.
Leadership and Discretionary Decision-Making in a Technocratic Administration: Confronting a New Praxis

AbstractThe argument of the paper is that the pervasive nature of information technology in today’s work environment, though instrumental for organizational efficiency, engenders serious implications for organizational leadership and administrative discretion. It challenges our traditional perceptions of the institutional prerogatives imposed on leaders with regard to hierarchical accountability, decision-making, and bureaucratic responsiveness. As administrative discretion is overtaken by technological precision, and as we rely more and more on numbers and esoteric jargons to make mundane administrative decisions, the human element in both public and private administration is eroded. How to understand the administrative implications of these changes and accommodate them as well as facilitate the three doctrines of public service-efficiency, equity, and due process-poses a daunting task for public service administration both in theory and practice. The core values of administrative leadership must be made...
Optimizing a reconfigurable material via evolutionary computation

Rapid prototyping by combining evolutionary computation with simulations is becoming a powerful tool for solving complex design problems in materials science. This method of optimization operates in a virtual design space that simulates potential material behaviors and after completion needs to be validated by experiment. However, in principle an evolutionary optimizer can also operate on an actual physical structure or laboratory experiment directly, provided the relevant material parameters can be accessed by the optimizer and information about the material's performance can be updated by direct measurements. Here we provide a proof of concept of such direct, physical optimization by showing how a reconfigurable, highly nonlinear material can be tuned to respond to impact. We report on an entirely computer controlled laboratory experiment in which a 6×6 grid of electromagnets creates a magnetic field pattern that tunes the local rigidity of a concentrated suspension of ferrofluid and iron filings. A genetic algorithm is implemented and tasked to find field patterns that minimize the force transmitted through the suspension. Searching within a space of roughly 10^{10} possible configurations, after testing only 1500 independent trials the algorithm identifies an optimized configuration of layered rigid and compliant regions.
Specifying and Interpreting Latent State–Trait Models With Autoregression: An Illustration

Latent state–trait models are valuable tools for representing the longitudinal stability and variability of individuals’ relative standing on a construct (e.g., a behavior or psychological process). Specifically, state–trait models partition construct variance into time-varying and time-invariant components, enabling one to examine the relations between these components and other variables. Such partitioning of construct variance has a number of valuable applications including the improvement of risk-outcome research. The trait–state–occasion (TSO) model and latent state–trait model with autoregression (LST–AR) are ideal for use with constructs with relative stability that decreases with increasing durations, but relative stability that does not decrease to 0 even over long durations. Despite the fact that this pattern of relative stability expression is observed for a wide variety of constructs, there are relatively few applications of the TSO and LST–AR models. Thus, this article describes the TSO and L...
Effects of aging on SAC-Bi solder materials

Lead free solder materials are widely used in the electronic packaging industry due to environmental concerns. However, experimental testing and microstructural characterization have revealed that Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) lead free solders exhibit evolving properties that change significantly with environmental exposures such as isothermal aging and thermal cycling. In our prior studies on aging effects, we have demonstrated that these aging effects can be partially mitigated by adding dopants to the SAC alloy composition.
Endomicroscopy and Molecular Tools to Evaluate Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Endoscopy is an essential tool for effective care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. The newest endoscopic small-field imaging technologies with confocal endomicroscopy have allowed real-time imaging of gastrointestinal mucosal during ongoing endoscopic evaluation and in vivo histology. Thus, endomicroscopy has a potential to further enhance the endoscopic evaluation of IBD. Advances in molecular in vivo imaging in IBD may be used not only to better understand the pathophysiology of IBD but also to guide optimized therapy and thus to allow a personalized, new approach to the IBD management.
ACTH vs Vigabatrin in Infantile Spasms

The comparative efficacy and safety of ACTH (110 IU/m2 once daily for 15 days) and vigabatrin (100-150 mg/kg/daily in bid doses) was evaluated by a retrospective analysis of medical records of 42 infants (21 in each group) with infantile spasms and hypsarrhythmia treated at the Universite de Montreal, Hopital Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada.
Evolution of Worklife Expectancy Measurement

Some people can live to age 110–120, as reflected in current mortality data and tables used to calculate life expectancy. The US government and other governments publish such information, which is so generally accepted that courts grant it judicial notice. Similarly, people can participate in the labor force at advanced ages—comedian George Burns had a contract to perform on his 100th birthday at the London Palladium. Worklife expectancy is the life expectancy analog—it calculates how long, on average, people will participate in the labor force.
Using collaborative two-stage examinations to address test anxiety in a large enrollment gateway course.

Large enrollment foundational courses are perceived as "high stakes" because of their potential to act as barriers for progression to the next course or admittance to a program. The nature of gateway courses makes them ideal settings to explore the relationship between anxiety, pedagogical interventions, and student performance. Here, two-stage collaborative examinations were implemented to improve test-taking skills and address widespread test anxiety in an introductory human anatomy course. Test anxiety data were collected (using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire) before the first examination and last examination. Most students experienced decreased test anxiety over the course of the semester; however, some students may have experienced performance limiting conditions due to test anxiety at the end of the semester based on academic ability in the course (in "C" students when compared to "A" students: P < 0.00006 and "B" students: P < 0.05), overall academic ability (in academically weaker students: P < 0.025), and demographic factors (in women: P < 0.025). The strongest performances on examinations were primarily observed in already academically strong students (mean individual performance: P < 0.000, mean group performance: P < 0.000). Furthermore, changes in test anxiety were not significantly associated with the group portion of the examinations. Patterns of changes in test anxiety over the course of the semester underscore a complex interaction between test anxiety, student background, and student performance. Results suggest that pathways for test anxiety in "high stakes" courses may be separate from the mechanisms responsible for the benefits of collaborative testing. Anat Sci Educ 10: 409-422. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.
Design and magnetics optimization of LLC resonant converter with GaN

This paper presents the design and magnetics optimization of 1-kW regulated LLC resonant converter with GaN FETs. By adopting the GaN FETs for primary side switches, the gate driver loss and turn-off loss are significantly reduced. A new structure of integrated transformer with stacked planar cores, shaped windings and synchronous rectifier MOSFET proposed to reduce the core loss and winding loss. The proposed integrated transformer has highly compact structure including transformer, resonant inductor, SR MOSFET and output capacitor. A regulated 1-kW LLC resonant converter prototype is designed and tested. The peak efficiency can reach 97.4%.
Ontology via semantics? Introduction to the special issue on the semantics of cardinals

As introduction to the special issue on the semantics of cardinals, we offer some background on the relevant literature, and an overview of the contributions to this volume. Most of these papers were presented in earlier form at an interdisciplinary workshop on the topic at The Ohio State University, and the contributions to this issue reflect that interdisciplinary character: the authors represent both fields in the title of this journal.
Libratus: the superhuman AI for no-limit poker

No-limit Texas Hold'em is the most popular variant of poker in the world. Heads-up no-limit Texas Hold'em is the main benchmark challenge for AI in imperfect-information games. We present Libratus, the first--and so far only--AI to defeat top human professionals in that game. Libratus's architecture features three main modules, each of which has new algorithms: pre-computing a solution to an abstraction of the game which provides a high-level blueprint for the strategy of the AI, a new nested subgame-solving algorithm which repeatedly calculates a more detailed strategy as play progresses, and a self-improving module which augments the pre-computed blueprint over time.
An Integrated Architecture for IoT Fingerprinting

This paper discusses a security approach for IoT fingerprinting. We start with revisiting the general security challenges related with the using of IoT, then discuss how IoT fingerprinting can overcome several of these challenges. We also discuss a proposed approach for the establishment of IoT fingerprinting and to maintain a secure communication between IoT devices. The proposed approach is lightweight and allows the protection of IoT devices through strong authentication without having to execute computationally intensive operations. To make this possible, a unique electronic fingerprints that each device creates via its physical characteristics are using to figure out which are legitimate and which may come from potentially malicious sources. Moreover, the proposed approach does not require any modifications to the protocol stacks of unconstrained nodes.
Spaceborne GPS for POD and Earth Science

With the emergence of spaceborne geodetic receivers, GPS is rapidly invading the realm of Earth remote sensing. Among the current science applications are centimeterlevel precise orbit determination; gravity model improvement; high resolution ionospheric imaging; and atmospheric limb sounding to recover precise profiles of atmospheric density, pressure, temperature, and water vapor distribution. In the near future we may also see spaceborne GPS used for direct ocean altimetry and scatterometry. Almost uniquely among science sensors, GPS receivers lend themselves to incorporation into highly miniaturized, low cost, and fully autonomous sensorcraft.
Situation-specific emotional states: Testing Nesse and Ellsworth’s (2009) model of emotions for situations that arise in goal pursuit using virtual world software

Scholars have suggested that emotions are evolved adaptations that increase fitness by adjusting the response of the individual to the specific situation. Thus, the particular emotion experienced by an individual should be dependent on whether the situation is a threat/opportunity, in the physical/social domain, and if the outcome is a success/failure. Nesse and Ellsworth (2009) created a model around this idea that predicts which emotions should arise in these particular situations. The current study empirically tested this model using the virtual simulation program Second Life. 50 (44 female, 6 male, Mage = 21.10 years, Age range: 18–30 years) participants’ avatars were placed in socially and physically threatening and opportunistic situations; further, participants were randomly assigned to succeed or fail at each task. After completing each task, participants rated the degree to which they experienced the emotions predicted by the model to arise in these situations. Results found the social opportunity, physical threat, and social threat conditions matched those emotions predicted by the model.
Methods for Detecting Genetically Engineered Microorganisms in the Environment

The ability to monitor accurately genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) is critical in determining their potential impact on a given environment. Many articles have delineated the crucial issues surrounding the release of GEMS (Rissler, 1984; Alexander, 1986; Strauss et al 1985; Gillett et al, 1986; Lenski, 1987). Five major concerns are repeatedly referred to by various authors: (1) incorporation of the novel gene or genes into natural microorganisms, (2) ability of the novel organism to survive in the environment, (3) ability of the novel organism to multiply in the environment, (4) interaction of the novel organism with biological systems that could be injurious to other organisms, and (5) the assessment of harm caused by the organism. The ability to address the first four of these concerns is dependent upon the development of appropriate methodologies. The types of ecological questions that are dependent on adequate methodological techniques for answers are shown in Table I. These questions must be answered before the release of GEMs can become as routine a practice as is now the case for the use of licensed pesticides.
Research Literature on Haitian Americans: Trends and Outlook

What does it mean to be “Haitian American”? What links a Haitian diaspora to their homeland and the broader Caribbean? How important are such links? Key research literature of the past two decades provides insights into these questions. A consistent theme running through these works is the transnational nature of Haitian American life. “Home” is kept alive through language, religion, health care practices, a collective memory of fame and infamy. Haitian American identity is complex, hybrid, neither Haitian nor American. This complexity tends to be either neglected or misrepresented, and results in tensions. Studying the complexity of the relationship between country of origin and country of resettlement will reveal their common side and facilitate the development of a paradigm for the entire Caribbean.
Criteria for Using Intraperitoneal (IP) Chemotherapy for Advanced Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a disease that remains confined to the abdominal cavity in the majority of cases. IP therapy, therefore, offers an attractive treatment strategy for providing high concentrations of drugs directly to tumor sites. The size of any remaining tumor nodules at the initiation of chemotherapy is the most critical factor in selecting patients who may benefit from IP therapy. It has been demonstrated that chemotherapeutic agents can penetrate into tumor nodules approximately 1–2 mm from the surface. Then, theoretically, IP therapy should only benefit patients with very small residual disease at the initiation of therapy or it must be combined with intravenous therapy that can reach the center of tumor nodules. Los et al. [1] used an IP rat model to demonstrate that the concentration of cisplatin was higher in the periphery of tumor nodules following IP administration, while the concentration in the center was equivalent to that of intravenously (IV) administered cisplatin. By convention, optimal residual disease is defined as no individual tumor mass greater than 1 cm in diameter. Most recent trials of IP therapy include this definition as part of their eligibility criteria. Whether or not patients with larger disease at the initiation of IP therapy may also benefit from IP therapy is controversial. GOG 104, a randomized trial of IV cyclophophamide plus IP cipslatin vs. IV cylophosphamide plus IP cisplatin [2], permitted accrual of women with residual disease up to 2 cm in diameter. The effect of the treatment route (IV vs. IP) was not influenced by the size of the residual disease (microscopic vs. #0.5 cm vs. > 0.5–2 cm). Although it is possible that women with suboptimal disease may benefit from IP therapy, the majority of randomized trials that have demonstrated a benefit to IP therapy have included patients with optimal residual disease [3, 4].
Femtosecond Dynamics of Molecular Reactions at Metal Surfaces

These lectures are an introduction to current research into photo-induced chemical reactions at metal surfaces. After an introduction to some qualitative quantum mechanics, we discuss the electronic and optical properties of metals, beginning from an introductory level. The Drude model is described in detail and then optical properties of matter are developed more completely by introducing band structures. The physics governing adsorption of reactants at a metal surface and other fundamental concepts in surface science are introduced. We describe the interaction with a subpicosecond laser pulse with a metal surface in preparation for discussion of some recent photochemistry experiments using subpicosecond laser pulses. The experiments address the nature of the photo-excited electrons that are responsible for chemical reaction of the adsorbates.
Determining Factors of Perceived Adaptation and Academic Standing of Indochinese Refugee Students: An Exploratory Study

Indochinese student success in adapting to new school environments may lead to improvements in academic performance. Factors which contribute to the process of adaptation in new school settings include perceived adaptation in the old school, academic standing in the old school, and age.
Culturally Specific Pedagogy in the Mathematics Classroom: Strategies for Teachers and Students

"Culturally Specific Pedagogy in the Mathematic Classroom offers a wide variety of conceptual and curricular resources for teachers interested in teaching mathematics in a way that challenges stratification based upon race, class, gender and other forms of oppression that students face in today‘s world. With the publication of this book, all teachers will have available to them instructional strategies in mathematics for meeting the academic needs of culturally diverse students. They will have an explanation of the linkage between culture and students mathematical cognition and problem solving. The ease in which Leonard brings the reader along, and the caring way she tells a story about making mathematics a fun and social justice experience makes for an exciting learning opportunity for all students and teachers." Carl A. Grant, University Wisconsin-Madison, United States, From the Foreword "Mathematics educators are in a period of deep concern about our ability to educate all students in mathematics. Most students of color do not have the opportunities to fully learn mathematics. Nothing more important can be done for these students and their teachers than to publish this book addressing the miseducation of these students and offering a way to change what we are doing." Carol E. Malloy, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, United States This compelling text advocates the use of culturally specific pedagogy to enhance the mathematics instruction of diverse students. It accomplishes this by making clear the link between research and practice and offering lesson templates that teachers can use with ethnically and culturally diverse students and with females. Specifically, the text draws on sociocultural theory and research on culture and mathematics cognition to focus on three goals: using qualitative research to extend the literature on culturally based education to African American and Latina/o c
Image Based Individual Identification of Sumatra Barb (Puntigrus Tetrazona)

The paper deal with the individual fish identification of the same species based on digital image of the fish. The proof of concept of image based individual identification is introduced on the small group fish. The method is completely noninvasive and can overcome the disadvantages of standard invasive identification such as tagging. The experiments proved the hypothesis that the visible patterns on Sumatra Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona) body can be used for individual identification. In the first step, the database of 43 fish (was created by the taking of the images of fish in different pose. Images were taken in an aquarium with a water. After data collection, data was processed by the image processing methods to determine the features. The simple nearest neighbor classification was used to test individual identification. The accuracy of classification was 100%. The method proved the hypothesis that the visible pattern on Sumatra Barb can be used for fully automated individual fish identification. It can be substituted current practice of fish identification based on tagging and marking. The long-term stability of the pattern and the classification power for large fish group should be studied in the future.
Vulvar Squamous Neoplasia

Vulvar cancer affects 2.5 per 100,000 women per year and represents 0.4% of all new cancer cases in the USA. It is primarily a disease of elderly women with those between the ages of 75 and 84 most commonly affected. The majority of vulvar cancers (90%) are squamous cell carcinomas. In contrast to the cervix, where virtually all squamous neoplasia is driven by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, two distinct pathways to invasive squamous cell carcinoma are recognized in the vulva: the HPV-dependent and the HPV-independent pathway. While exceptions occur and rare overlap exists, these two pathways differ with respect to epidemiologic, clinical, histopathologic, and molecular characteristics. Recently, a third pathway has been proposed but requires further investigation.
Trajectories of Structural Disease Progression in Knee Osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous disease, with most patients experiencing slow disease progression and some with rapid deterioration. We aimed to identify groups of patients with symptomatic knee OA experiencing rapid structural progression. METHODS We selected participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative with baseline Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) grades 1-3 and knee pain, and with joint space width (JSW) on fixed-flexion knee radiographs assessed at baseline and with ≥1 follow-up over 8 years. We used latent class growth analysis to identify subgroups of JSW progression, jointly modeling time to knee replacement (KR) to account for potential informative dropouts. After identifying trajectories, we used logistic regression to assess the association between baseline characteristics and the JSW trajectory group. RESULTS We used data from 1,578 participants. Baseline radiographic severity was K/L grade 1 in 17%, K/L grade 2 in 50%, and K/L grade 3 in 33%. We identified 3 distinct JSW trajectories: 86% stable, 6% with stable JSW followed by late progression, and 8% with early progression. Incorporating information about KR resulted in 47% of KRs initially classified as stable being reclassified to 1 of the progressing trajectories. Prior knee surgery was associated with being in the late-progressing versus the stable trajectory, while obesity was associated with being in the early-progressing versus stable trajectory. CONCLUSION In addition to a subgroup of individuals experiencing early structural progression, 8-year longitudinal data allowed the identification of a late-progressing trajectory. Incorporating information about KR was important to properly identify longitudinal structural trajectories in knee OA.
HUNK Signaling in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Once metastatic disease has occurred, there is no cure for breast cancer. Consequently, identifying factors that promote and support breast cancer metastasis is critical for understanding how to pharmacologically target this process. Hormonally up-regulated neu-associated kinase (HUNK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase related to the sucrose non-fermenting-1 (Snf-1)/5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family of kinases. HUNK has been found to play a role in breast cancer metastasis. However, conflicting reports indicate HUNK is a metastasis promoting factor as well as an inhibiting factor. Our group recently provided evidence that supports the conclusion that HUNK is a metastasis promoting factor by showing that HUNK regulates breast cancer metastasis through phosphorylation of EGFR. Here, we summarize our findings and discuss their implications toward pharmacological targeting of HUNK in breast cancer.
Stimulated emission, amplification, and upward frequency shift of the orbitron maser

The Orbitron Maser is a device in which R.F. radiation is produced by electrons in elongated or circular orbits around a positively charged central anode wire. This wire is surrounded by a circular cylinder which is at ground potential. This cylinder acts both as a cathode and as a cavity resonator. The frequency of this radiation, for circular orbits, (v) is,
Evolution of Inquiry Questions in a Cyclic Professional Development Program

Teachers in professional development (PD) programs need time to adopt, enact and reflect on what they are learning in the PD within their own situations. To encourage reflective implementation and adaptation of ideas and practices promoted in the PD studied in this article, participants were asked to engage in several small action research projects over time. To gain insights into how the cyclic process of implementation and reflection effected changes in practice and knowledge, we examined the nature of the research questions asked by a cohort of teacher-researchers (n=31) as they engaged in several cycles of action research over a three-year period. We found the nature of the questions they asked shifted over time from investigating the efficacy of particular interventions in terms of students' performance to exploring how to support students as they reason about mathematics. These results provoke questions about why these particular changes occurred and why others did not.
Multiorgan metastatic invasive lobular Carcinoma initially presenting as diplopia

We present an interesting case of biopsy-proven multiorgan metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma to the orbits and kidney, initially presenting in a 76-year-old woman with diplopia. Invasive lobular carcinoma is a less common subtype of breast cancer and is often difficult to detect on imaging with an unusual metastatic pattern when compared to invasive ductal carcinoma. Metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma most frequently involves the orbits, ovaries, gastrointestinal tract, retroperitoneum and bone. Disease involving these organ systems detected on imaging should raise concern for metastatic disease when appropriate.
Needlestick and Sharps Injuries Among Resident Physicians.

This cohort study reviews trends in all needlestick and other sharps injuries among resident physicians and other staff at a single health care center over 20 years.
Robotic-assisted ureteral reimplantation and psoas hitch after ureteral injury during cesarean section

Ureteral injury during gynecological surgery can be managed in a variety of ways, from endoscopic stent placement to ureteroneocystotomy with accompanying psoas hitch and/or Boari flap. The majority of these occur during hysterectomy; therefore, gynecologic surgeons may not be as familiar with repair in women with intact uteri. Herein we present our technique for delayed robotic-assisted ureteral reimplant and psoas hitch in a woman with a ureteral injury sustained during cesarean section, which initially presented as a uretero-cervical fistula. In this video, we describe the evaluation and surgical management of a patient with delayed recognition of a left distal ureteral injury sustained during cesarean section. We present necessary modifications to robotic-assisted laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy and psoas hitch to accommodate an intact uterus including the need for uterine manipulation, division of the round ligament, bladder mobilization from the lower uterine segment and development of the retropubic space, reimplantation steps, and psoas hitch. Simple modifications to a traditional technique of robotic-assisted ureteroneocystotomy effectively compensate for the presence of a uterus. Obstetricians should maintain a high index of suspicion for ureteral injury in women with new-onset severe urinary leakage post-cesarean section.
Building Detection with Deep Learning

Deep learning frameworks have been widely used in image classification and segmentation tasks. In this paper we outline the methods used to adapt an image segmentation model, U-Net, to identify buildings in geospatial images. The model has been trained and tested on a set of orthophotographic and LiDAR data from the state of Indiana. Its results are compared to the results achieved by a ResNet101 and RefineNet model trained with the same data, excluding the LiDAR data. This tool has a wide range of potential uses in research involving geospatial imagery. We discuss these use cases and some of the challenges and pitfalls in tuning a model for use with geospatial data.
Waning Immune Humoral Response to BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine over 6 Months.

Background Despite high vaccine coverage and effectiveness, the incidence of symptomatic infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been increasing in Israel. Whether the increasing incidence of infection is due to waning immunity after the receipt of two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine is unclear. Methods We conducted a 6-month longitudinal prospective study involving vaccinated health care workers who were tested monthly for the presence of anti-spike IgG and neutralizing antibodies. Linear mixed models were used to assess the dynamics of antibody levels and to determine predictors of antibody levels at 6 months. Results The study included 4868 participants, with 3808 being included in the linear mixed-model analyses. The level of IgG antibodies decreased at a consistent rate, whereas the neutralizing antibody level decreased rapidly for the first 3 months with a relatively slow decrease thereafter. Although IgG antibody levels were highly correlated with neutralizing antibody titers (Spearman's rank correlation between 0.68 and 0.75), the regression relationship between the IgG and neutralizing antibody levels depended on the time since receipt of the second vaccine dose. Six months after receipt of the second dose, neutralizing antibody titers were substantially lower among men than among women (ratio of means, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.75), lower among persons 65 years of age or older than among those 18 to less than 45 years of age (ratio of means, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.70), and lower among participants with immunosuppression than among those without immunosuppression (ratio of means, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.46). Conclusions Six months after receipt of the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine, humoral response was substantially decreased, especially among men, among persons 65 years of age or older, and among persons with immunosuppression.
Role of Specifications in Foundation Construction

The interconnecting roles of engineer, architect, insurer, contractor, and owner are recognized. The need is discussed for equitable distribution of risks during the construction phase of a project. Emphasis is placed on underground foundation construction with its consequent difficulties in accurate risk prediction. Organizations developing interdisciplinary solutions to the problem are presented.
Modernity: Anthropological Aspects

Anthropology is a modern study of human existence in which the anthropos becomes an object of knowledge and also a technique of modern power. The field readily acknowledges that it is both a product, and an interrogator, of modernity. This relationship has given anthropology its existential doubling, as an extension, and as an undoing, of the taken for granted aspects of Western modernity. For much of the twentieth century, anthropologists have used ethnographic findings to question the assumed aspects of the historical framing of modernity and its others. Another feature of anthropology’s approach to modernity is through the notion of plural modernisms, which seeks to capture the particularistic experiences of others in encounters with modern Western forms. The most promising approach has been to treat modernity as a specific ethnographic project, one that tracks the spread of political and social rationalities, and their production of new techniques, social forms, and subjects in a variety of ethnographic settings. Anthropology as a field and an ethnographer’s craft is especially well suited to identify the ever shifting webs of rationalities that constitute our plural worlds, and to pose the question of modernity itself as a paradox about humanity.
Segregation for performance in recombinant inbred populations resulting from inter-gene pool crosses of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The germplasm of cultivated common bean exhibits a lower level of genetic diversity within each geographical gene pools (Mesoamerican and Andean) compared to that of the respective wild ancestors. Crosses between these two gene pools potentially provide a source of additional genetic diversity but their progenies have been characterized by phenotypic abnormalities and reduced productivity. In order to gain additional insights into this problem, we examined the segregation for performance in two recombinant inbred populations (RIPs) resulting from Mesoamerican × Andean crosses in three contrasting environments and two years. The two RIPs – ‘California Dark Red Kidney’ (of Andean origin) × ‘Yolano’ (Mesoamerican), n = 150, and A55 (Mesoamerican) × G122 (Andean), n = 67 – were grown in replicated field tests to assess the agronomic performance of each recombinant inbred line. Both populations exhibited, on average, greater days to maturity (DTM), lower biomass growth rate (above-ground dry weight/DTM), lower economic growth rate (seed yield/DTM), and lesser harvest index. In contrast with the conclusions of earlier experiments, there was no evidence from the field trials for a genetic association (due to linkage or pleiotropy) between seed weight and economic growth rate, but there may be a genetic association between seed weight and life cycle length. We compare the results of these studies with earlier experiments on inter-gene pool recombinant populations of common beans and relate our observations of diminished performance to models of speciation mechanisms.
Ionization Behavior of the Histidine Residue in the Catalytic Triad of Serine Proteases MECHANISTIC IMPLICATIONS

α-Lytic protease is a homologue of the mammalian serine proteases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase, and its single histidine residue belongs to the Asp-His-Ser catalytic triad. This single histidine residue has been selectively enriched in the C-2 carbon with 13C. Magnetic resonance studies of the chemical shift and coupling constant (1Jch) behavior of this nucleus as a function of pH suggest that the imidazole ring is neutral above pH 5 and therefore that the group which is known to ionize with pKa near 6.7 must be the aspartic acid residue. Implications of these new pKa assignments for the catalytic mechanism of serine proteases are discussed and include the absence of any need to separate charge during catalysis. The histidine residue plays two roles. (a) It insulates the aspartic acid from an aqueous environment and accordingly raises its pKa. (b) It serves as a bidentate base to accept a proton from the serine at one of its nitrogens and concertedly transfer a proton from its other nitrogen to the buried carboxylate anion during formation of the tetrahedral intermediate.
A 1500-year record of climatic and environmental change in ElkLake Minnesota I: Varve thickness and gray-scale density

The deepest part (29.5 m) of Elk Lake, ClearwaterCounty, northwestern Minnesota, contains a complete Holocene section that iscontinuously varved. The varve components are predominantly autochthonous(CaCO3, organic matter, biogenic silica, and several iron andmanganese minerals), but the varves do contain a minor detrital-clastic(aluminosilicate) component that is predominantly wind-borne (eolian) andprovides an important record of atmospheric conditions. Singular spectrumanalysis (SSA) and wavelet analysis of varve thickness recognized significantperiodicities in the multicentennial and multidecadal bands that varied inpower (i.e., variable significance) and position (i.e., variable period) withinthe periodic bands. Persistent periodicities of about 10, 22, 40, and 90 years,and, in particular, multicentennial periodicities in varve thickness and otherproxy variables are similar to those in spectra of radiocarbon production, aproxy for past solar activity. This suggests that there may be a solar control,perhaps through geomagnetic effects on atmospheric circulation. Multicentennialand multidecadal periodicities also occur in wavelet spectra of relativegray-scale density. However, gray-scale density does not appear to correlatewith any of the measured proxy variables, and at this point we do not know whatcontrolled gray scale.
Vasovagal reaction rates and body weight: findings in high- and low-risk populations.

BACKGROUND: The effect of weight on vasovagal reaction rates has not been evaluated in high- and low-risk populations or in first-time versus repeat blood donors. In addition, vasovagal reaction rates and weight have not been evaluated based on solicited information. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 1073 Caucasian high school students from randomly selected whole-blood drives in 2001 and 949 randomly selected Caucasian donors from the general donor population in 2001 and 2002 were subdivided into weight groups and evaluated for vasovagal reaction rates. RESULTS: The high school population had a much higher vasovagal reaction rate than the general donor population (8.0 vs. 2.6%). The vasovagal reaction rate was inversely proportional to body weight in first-time blood donors in both populations, but the trend was not as well defined in repeat blood donors. Solicitation of information from the general donor population increased the vasovagal reaction detection rate by 2.5 times (from 2.6% to 6.5%), and it is suggested that the vasovagal reaction rate might be as high as 27 percent in first-time general donors who weighed between 110 and 139 pounds. CONCLUSION: Body weight is a very important determinant of vasovagal reaction rates in first-time donors, but previous successful blood donation appears to mitigate the effect of body weight on vasovagal reaction rates. Solicitation of information from blood donors increases the number of vasovagal reactions detected and enhances the data.
Fractured Procedure: The Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990

Federal district courts have viewed the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 as a mandate to adopt procedural rules inconsistent with existing law. But in this article, Professor Robel argues that the Act neither compels nor authorizes such local deviations. Citing examples from reforms underway in district courts nationwide, Professor Robel contends that courts' assertions of broad rulemaking authority rest on a misreading of the Act and of the compromise between Congress and the judiciary that led to its passage. Professor Robel cautions that the goal of national uniformity underlying the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure should not be compromised lightly. However, she argues that, while probably unwise, the Civil Justice Reform Act was within Congress' constitutional power to enact. She concludes by urging rulemakers to more carefully consider the costs and benefits of local rules.
Financial Investing Made for Women: The Economic and Psychological Reasons Why Women Invest Differently Than Men

Financial Investing is becoming not only a way to plan for a future source of retirement, but also a method to control a personal financial situation without having to rely on government aid or family member support to survive during the elderly years. Today, individuals cannot depend on social security being available in the future for financial support. It is especially vital for women to become more interested in making long-term investments that will provide a secure and effective approach to money management and financial planning. However, as various studies have concluded, women are less interested than men in managing their finances due to various economic and psychological reasons related to risk aversion, sociopolitical and biological factors, and income. This study reviews previous research findings related to the relationship between women and investments, as well as several economic and psychological reasons behind the gender gap on financial investing are presented. Surveys were used to identify the main reasons for women’s tendency to rely less on financial investments. It was found that women who had some source of financial investment showed confidence in the stock market, as well as in their financial decisions. These results contradict some of the findings shown in previous research.
The effects of human immunodeficiency virus infection on the expression of the drug efflux proteins P-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein in a human intestine model.

Objectives In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, decreased penetration of antiretroviral drugs is postulated to contribute to HIV persistence within lymphoid-rich regions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, mechanistic explanations for this phenomenon remain unclear. Specifically, investigations of HIV effects on drug efflux proteins within intestinal models are minimal. Methods Using an in-vitro co-culture model of the GI tract, the effects of HIV infection on drug efflux proteins, P-glycoprotein and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) were evaluated. The influence of the HIV-1 protein, Tat, and oxidative stress on P-glycoprotein and BCRP was also evaluated. Key findings P-glycoprotein expression demonstrated an HIV-induced upregulation in Caco-2 cells over time for cells grown in co-culture with resting lymphocytes. BCRP overall expression increased with HIV exposure in activated primary human lymphocytes co-cultured with Caco-2 cells. Tat treatment resulted in no significant alterations in P-glycoprotein (43% increase), BCRP expression, or oxidative stress. Conclusions HIV exposure within an in-vitro intestinal model resulted in increases in P-glycoprotein and BCRP in a cell-specific manner. Additionally, observed changes were not mediated by Tat. Collectively, these results suggest that alterations in BCRP and P-glycoprotein may contribute, in part, to decreased antiretroviral concentrations within the gut-associated lymphoid tissue of the GI tract in HIV infection.