cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory kappa-B kinase-β inhibition prevents adaptive left ventricular hypertrophy.

Abstract Background Most cardiovascular studies have implicated the central transcription factor nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) as contributing to the detrimental effects of cardiac injury. This ostensibly negative view of NF-κB competes with its important role in the normal host inflammatory and immune response. Pressure overload, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and heart failure represent a spectrum of disease that has both adaptive and maladaptive components. In contrast to its known effects related to myocardial ischemia–reperfusion, we hypothesized that NF-κB is necessary for the compensatory phase of cardiac remodeling. Methods C57BL6 mice underwent minimally invasive transverse aortic constriction with or without inhibition of the proximal NF-κB kinase, inhibitory kappa-B kinase-β. Isolated cardiomyocytes were cultured. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on all mice. Results Inhibitory kappa-B kinase-β inhibition successfully decreased cardiomyocyte expression of phosphorylated p65 NF-κB and decreased expression of hypertrophic markers with stimulation in vitro . Three weeks after transverse aortic constriction, the mice treated with inhibitory kappa-B kinase-β inhibition more aggressively developed LVH, as measured by heart weight/body weight ratio, left ventricular mass, and wall thickness. These mice also demonstrated a functional decline, as measured by decreased fractional shortening and ejection fraction. These findings were associated with decreased protein expression of p65 NF-κB. Conclusions Although short-term pressure-overload results in compensatory LVH with normal cardiac function, NF-κB inhibition resulted in increased LVH that was associated with functional deterioration. These observations suggest that NF-κB is an important part of the adaptive phase of LVH, and its inhibition detrimentally affects cardiac remodeling.
Modeling Geospatial Interdependence for Integrated Municipal Infrastructure

This paper presents a computational model for establishing the interdependence among municipal assets. To create a multiyear plan for the maintenance of municipal asset networks, it is necessary to know the interdependencies among these assets. With this knowledge, it is then possible to avoid costly duplication of work and disruption of services to the public. The model offers a methodology to systematically group assets based on their location and geometry to support what is known as corridor rehabilitation of municipal assets. The paper contains an overview of the concepts of infrastructure asset interdependency and introduces a method that computationally generates a complete list of asset-to-asset relationships and quantifies the amount of physical overlap between them. The developed model is implemented in a geographic information systems environment to facilitate further use of operation and maintenance data that is commonly saved by a number of municipalities in that environment. A case study is presented to demonstrate the use of the proposed model. The study utilizes a small section of the road and water main distribution network in the district of Pointe-de Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada. The benefits of the developed model are discussed along with potential applications to support integrated municipal infrastructure management.
Near Optimal Neural Network-based Output Feedback Control of Affine Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems

In this paper, a novel online reinforcement learning neural network (NN)-based optimal output feedback controller, referred to as adaptive critic controller, is proposed for affine nonlinear discrete-time systems, to deliver a desired tracking performance. The adaptive critic design consist of three entities, an observer to estimate the system states, an action network that produces optimal control input and a critic that evaluates the performance of the action network. The critic is termed adaptive as it adapts itself to output the optimal cost-to-go function which is based on the standard Bellman equation. By using the Lyapunov approach, the uniformly ultimate boundedness (UUB) of the estimation and tracking errors and weight estimates is demonstrated. The effectiveness of the controller is evaluated for the task of nanomanipulation in a simulation environment.
Regulatory Strategies for Workplace Injury Reduction A Program Evaluation

Methods for the effective regulation of workplace safety have been the subject of continuing controversy. One possible method is the targeting of high injury rate establishments, labeled THIRE. This article evaluates the PAR program of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which employs a THIREstrategy to regulate safety in stone, sand, and gravel mines. The results suggest that the program may have been effective in reducing the number of injuries in this sector of the mining industry.
Early environmental factors, ethnicity, and adult cognitive test performance.

This study was conducted to better understand cross-cultural variation in neuropsychological test performance by exploring the relationship between early environmental factors and adult neuropsychological functioning in African Americans (AA) and Caucasians (CA). Cognitive testing data and detailed retrospective early environmental histories were obtained from 100 neurologically healthy adults (75 AA, 25 CA). Results indicate that: (a) consistent with previous research, the two ethnic groups differed significantly on their cognitive test performance; (b) early environmental factors were significantly related to performance on cognitive tests; (c) the two ethnic groups demonstrated slight, but significant, differences in their early environmental histories; but (d) covarying early environmental factors did not substantially reduce the group performance in cognitive test performance. The failure of reported environmental factors to account for more of the ethnic disparity in test performance may have result...
A rail-to-rail input receiver employing successive regeneration and adaptive cancellation of intermodulation products

A direct conversion receiver is demonstrated which operates in the presence of a rail-to-rail (+12.4dBm) out-of-band blocker and a −16.3dBm blocker, where the ICP1 is +12.5dBm and the uncorrected extrapolated IIP3 is +33.5dBm. IM distortion is adaptively cancelled via feedforward loops which are digitally expanded to reproduce higher order nonlinear reference terms. Cancellation improves input-referred total IM distortion by over 24dB, resulting in an extrapolated IIP3 of +45.3dBm.
Characterizing the South Atlantic Bight seasonal variability and cold‐water event in 2003 using a daily cloud‐free SST and chlorophyll analysis

[1] Concurrent MODIS sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) data are used with a new technique: Data Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Function (DINEOF) method to produce daily, 4-km, cloud-free SST and Chl-a analyses for the South Atlantic Bight in 2003. Comparisons between SST analysis and in situ buoy temperature demonstrate the utility of DINEOF. To quantify linkages between surface wind, SST, and Chl-a variations, Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis is applied to North American Regional Reanalysis winds, and cloud-free DINEOF SST and Chl-a analyses. Wind EOF modes highlight upwelling winds from June to September. While the first SST mode represents seasonal heat flux variations, the second SST mode shows a direct response to upwelling winds with an abrupt drop in SST. The top two Chl-a EOF modes show less connection with wind. More subsurface Chl-a and nutrient observations are needed to quantify its relation with surface wind.
Closed‐loop feedback control of phased‐array microwave heating using thermal measurements from magnetic resonance imaging

Microwave heating is a promising technique for hyperthermia treatment of tumors, but is not yet a standard clinical method. Problems include the inability to control automatically and noninvasively the temporal and spatial temperature behavior. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to map thermal changes via phase shifts in gradient-echo images and has recently been incorporated into simple feedback systems for ultrasound heating. In this paper, we show the first demonstration of closed-loop feedback control of microwave heating using MRI-derived maps of both temperature and specific absorption rate as the inputs to a feedback algorithm. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts in Magnetic Resonance (Magn Reson Engineering) 15: 101–110, 2002.
EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF GREGARINA CUBENSIS (APICOMPLEXA: EUGREGARINIDA) PARASITIZING BLABERUS DISCOIDALIS (BLATTARIA: BLABERIDAE)

Gregarina cubensis is an apicomplexan parasite that infects the intestinal lumen of the death's head cockroach (Blaberus discoidalis). This study evaluated the effects of 3 temperatures on the development and viability of G. cubensis. Three groups of B. discoidalis were inoculated with G. cubensis oocysts and maintained at 15, 27, and 40 C. The alimentary canal was removed from 3 cockroaches in each group every 24 hr until mature gametocysts were found in the rectum or feces, and prepared for histological examination. Gregarina cubensis establishment and development were more rapid at 15 C than at 27 C. Development of G. cubensis at 40 C did not progress beyond the intracellular stage.
Promoting Social Entrepreneurship: Harnessing Experiential Learning With Technology Transfer To Create Knowledge Based Opportunities

Technology Transfer has grown in importance as more university developed technology is reaching commercialization to the benefit of numerous stakeholders. However, 75% of university patents are never licensed for development. Often cited is the need for a product that will rapidly generate a positive cash flow. Universities have an additional opportunity. They can work to link experiential learning courses with their technology portfolios to conduct activities like prototyping, market research, and market testing and work with social entrepreneurs to help launch technologies that may prove to be both beneficial to society and to a commercial operation while educating students.
A NEW APPROACH TO THE NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF A CLASS OF LINEAR AND NONLINEAR INTEGRAL EQUATIONS OF FREDHOLM TYPE.

Abstract : A description is given of a new technique for the numerical integration of Fredholm integral equations. The approach appears to possess advantages in the case where k (u, v) > or = 0. The reader familiar with the theory of invariant imbedding, particularly its application to radiative transfer, will understand the motivation for the method, which can be applied with equal ease to various classes of nonlinear integral equations. (Author)
Origin of the Solar System

Our Universe is believed by many astronomers and geologists to have begun 10 to 20 Ga ago with an outrush of material during the ‘Big Bang.’ Other cosmologists question the concept of the Big Bang, stating that it reflects search for a creation and a beginning (Burbidge 1992; Powell 1992); they proposed that creation is continuous and occurs in a series of little bangs. Was the Big Bang the beginning of time? If not, what came before it (Hawking 1988)? Should one visualize the Cosmos as having a beginning without a beginning, and an end without an end, as Merritt (1932, p. 30) described Khalk’rus? The present concensus is that the expansion of the Universe after the big bang appears to have gone through two stages: first, a period of rapid acceleration and inflation, when all distorting influences diminished quickly, and second, a phase when the Universe developed its present highly symmetrical state of expansion (Barrow 1991, pp. 49–50; Halliwell 1991). Stars, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies aggregated within this outrushing material when the Universe was about 1 Ga old (Riordan and Schramm 1991, pp. 3, 21; Powell 1992). Measurements on the broadest scale indicate nearly uniform radiation within the Universe, but recently the Cosmic Radiation Explorer (a satellite of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA) has mapped small variations in temperature attributed to the irregularities in radiation produced by the Big Bang. Within the past decade more detailed mapping has shown a nonuniform distribution of galaxies separated by huge voids, sheets of galaxies (such as the Great Wall, the largest coherent structure known within the Universe), and large foam-like distributions of galaxies (Spergel and Turok 1992). More than 90% of the material in the Universe consists of dark unseen matter generated during the inflation phase and required by density considerations. This dark matter is in a form that is difficult to detect, possibly as black holes, brown dwarfs, or planetary blobs the size of Jupiter or smaller (Riordan and Schramm 1991, pp. 61–62).
PERFORMANCE OF SOME FORAGE GRASS SPECIES IN HALOMORPHIC SOIL

In this study, performance and yield and quality parameters according to standard soil conditions of four forage grass species (Cynodon dactylon, Chloris gayana, Agropyron elongatum and Festuca arundinacea) which have different tolerance levels for salinity and alkalinity were compared. In this respect, research was carried out in four locations (control, highly saline, highly alkali, highly saline-alkali) which have the same climatic conditions but different soil characteristics for three years between 2011 and 2013. The trial was set up according to a randomized complete block design split-split plot with 3 replications. The research was established in Saracli and Asagi Camurlu with an altitude of 820 m in East Igdir Plain. Agropyron elongatum demonstrated growth in all locations while Cynodon dactylon demonstrated growth in all locations except highly saline-alkali. On the other hand, Festuca arundinacea and Chloris gayana showed growth only in control and highly saline locations. According to the results of research, saline and alkali soils caused a decrease in dry matter yields, plant heights and leaf area index in Agropyron elongatum and Festuca arundinacea species. According to non-saline soil, salinity and alkalinity were resulted in an increase in crude protein ratio of Agropyron elongatum while it’s were recorded in a decrease in crude protein ratio of Cynodon dactylon, Chloris gayana and Festuca arundinacea. On the other hand, while neutral detergent fiber of Cynodon dactylon increased, neutral detergent fiber of Chloris gayana, Agropyron elongatum and Festuca arundinacea in salinity and alkalinity soils. Keywords: Salinity, alkalinity, salt tolerance, forage grass, yield.
“A Hot Municipal Contest”: Prohibition and Black Politics in Greenville, South Carolina, after Reconstruction

During the late nineteenth century, contests over prohibition gripped hundreds of American towns and cities, nowhere with greater consequences than in the post-Reconstruction South. This article examines those effects in Greenville, South Carolina, a small marketing and manufacturing center in the white-majority upcountry. During the 1880s, prohibition split white Democrats who had “redeemed” Greenville's town government just a few years before and led to a surge in voter registration and participation among African Americans. The liquor question's repercussions for politics in the Gilded Age South have been largely neglected, both by social historians of prohibition and by political historians, who have failed to see it as one of the issues that roiled the region's politics between Reconstruction and the Populist rebellion. This article also emphasizes the overlooked importance of municipal elections and governance—even in so small a place as Greenville—as an arena for African Americans’ political activity. Greenville's black voters used their influence during the 1880s to achieve modest but tangible gains in education and municipal services and to erect at least a partial bulwark against the tide of white supremacy. These developments were part of a region-wide revival in African Americans’ municipal power, which Southern Democrats were careful to target in their disfranchising campaigns as the century drew to close.
Robust Adaptive Control with Disturbance Rejection for Linear Infinite Dimensional Systems

Given a linear continuous-time infinite-dimensional plant on a Hilbert space and disturbances of known and unknown waveform, we show that there exists a stabilizing direct model reference adaptive control law with certain disturbance rejection and robustness properties. The closed loop system is shown to be exponentially convergent to a neighborhood with radius proportional to bounds on the size of the disturbance. The plant is described by a closed densely defined linear operator that generates a continuous semigroup of bounded operators on the Hilbert space of states. To illustrate the utility of the control law, we apply the results to a partial differential equation example of an unstable diffusion system.
Philosophy of pain control in cancer patients.

The first step in controlling cancer pain is to develop an understanding of the patient's emotional makeup and to deal with his fears, anxieties and possible misconceptions. Treatment for pain then should follow an orderly progression. Pain from localized disease can best be treated by surgery, neurosurgery, radiotherapy or, occasionally, chemotherapy. If radiotherapy is not helpful in pain from regional disease, regional nerve block should be considered. Patients in whom neurosurgical procedures will relieve pain should not be allowed to suffer while the physician temporizes.
Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions. By Michael Helquist

Marie Equi: Radical Politics and Outlaw Passions . By Michael Helquist. (Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 2015. 310 pp. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $24.95, paper.) Michael Helquist’s superb biography of Dr. Marie Equi (1872–1952) is a riveting page-turner that keeps on giving. This is the far-reaching story of a Pacific Northwest woman who fearlessly challenged conventions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—a woman who openly risked becoming an outcast because of her lesbianism and radical activism in pursuit of social and economic justice. Firmly grounded in Helquist’s rigorous and meticulous research, and seamlessly enriched by his attention to time and place, this long-awaited biography of Equi—the first—never disappoints. Undaunted by the … jean{at}lclark.edu
Neonatal medication surveillance by the pharmacist

Data on prenatal, labor and delivery, and postnatal medication exposure to neonates were collected. During an 11-week period, 100 neonates consecutively admitted to a hospital were studied. The pharmacist obtained a social and medication history from the mothers and reviewed maternal anesthesia records and the charts of the neonates. Fifteen definite and possible adverse medication reactions were detected in 13 neonates. The median number of different medications ingested prenatally was 4.7. The four most commonly ingested prenatal medications were vitamins (97%), iron preparations (90%), headache/pain/arthritis medications (68%) and antinausea/vomiting medications (40%). The most commonly used medications during labor and delivery were oxytocin (73%), meperidine (33%) and promazine (25%). The use of strong narcotics during this period produced neonatal respiratory depression in some cases. The four most commonly prescribed postnatal medications were vitamin K1 (100%), gentamicin (10%), ampicillin (8%) and Poly-Vi-Sol (6%). The maternal interview indicated that most mothers were unaware of the influence that many medications can play upon the fetus. It is recommended that the pharmacist conduct a maternal medication interview prior to labor and delivery.
Nuclear pairing within a configuration-space Monte Carlo approach

Pairing correlations in nuclei play a decisive role in determining nuclear drip lines, binding energies, and many collective properties. In this work a new configuration-space Monte Carlo (CSMC) method for treating nuclear pairing correlations is developed, implemented, and demonstrated. In CSMC the Hamiltonian matrix is stochastically generated in Krylov subspace, resulting in the Monte Carlo version of Lanczos-like diagonalization. The advantages of this approach over other techniques are discussed; the absence of the fermionic sign problem, probabilistic interpretation of quantum-mechanical amplitudes, and ability to handle truly large-scale problems with defined precision and error control are noteworthy merits of CSMC. The features of our CSMC approach are shown using models and realistic examples. Special attention is given to difficult limits: situations with nonconstant pairing strengths, cases with nearly degenerate excited states, limits when pairing correlations in finite systems are weak, and problems when the relevant configuration space is large.
Exploring the impact of creative expression through interactive art making on older adults’ well-being

ABSTRACTResearch on enhancing healthy aging through art-related activities is a relatively recent phenomenon. We draw inspiration from the ability of interactive art technology to merge electronics into artifacts whose aesthetics are shaped by their craft components. We believe such artifacts hold great potential to engage older adults and significantly improve their daily lives. Therefore, we developed an interactive art-making program for seniors at local assisted-living facilities aimed to enhance cognitive engagement, social connectedness and sense of well-being in older adults. This article examines the physical and mental experience of our participants as they made electronic cards by hand and explores new approaches to electronics construction that leverages the affordances of other related handicrafts.
Elevated serum [Met5]-enkephalin levels correlate with improved clinical and behavioral outcomes in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Abstract Methionine enkephalin ([Met5]-enkephalin, Opioid growth factor (OGF)) is a small neuropeptide with growth-related as well as immunomodulatory properties. OGF is distributed widely throughout the body, is both autocrine and paracrine produced, and has a very short half-life in serum. In addition to its neurotransmitter functions, OGF inhibits cell replication of a wide variety of cells involved in the autoimmune process. In this preclinical study, mice were immunized with myelin oligodendrocytic glycoprotein (MOG35-55) to establish a chronic progressive form of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), and serum enkephalin levels were assessed throughout the disease as well as in response to OGF therapy in order to determine whether OGF may be a biological marker for EAE and multiple sclerosis. Immunized mice were randomly assigned to groups receiving daily 10 mg/kg OGF (n = 24) or saline (n = 25) beginning at the time of established disease and clinical behavior. Open field activity, rearing, forced swimming, and novel object tests were monitored. Serum levels of peptide were measured prior to immunization, before clinical symptoms were observed, and at the onset and peak period of disease. Spinal cord neuropathology was evaluated 40 days after immunization. EAE disease onset occurred on day 9 post immunization when the mean clinical score was 1.5. Peak disease scores for saline-injected EAE mice reached a mean of 5.7 on day 18, whereas mice receiving OGF had a peak clinical score of 2.5. Behavioral tests conducted 5 days post-immunization (and before clinical signs of EAE) revealed that EAE mice had reduced serum enkephalin levels related to elevated clinical disease scores. Serum levels of enkephalin collected at peak disease and after 40 days correlated with clinical scores. Disease status was associated with activity in the open field, rearing, time associating with a novel object, and pain sensitivity. Clinical signs of EAE correlated with levels of enkephalins such that as behavioral scores increased, serum [Met5]-enkephalin levels decreased. Thus, [Met5]-enkephalin is a novel biomarker that is associated with disease onset and progression, as well as response to therapy in a mouse model of EAE, and may provide new insight into MS.
Systematic Investigation of Two-Dimensional DNA Nanoassemblies for Construction of a Nonspecific Sensor Array.

We have performed a systematic study to analyze the effect of ssDNA length, nucleobase composition, and the type of two-dimensional nanoparticles (2D-nps) on the desorption response of 36 two-dimensional nanoassemblies (2D-NAs) against several proteins. The studies were performed using fluorescently labeled polyA, polyC, and polyT with 23, 18, 12, and 7 nucleotide-long sequences. The results suggest that the ssDNAs with polyC and longer sequences are more resistant to desorption, compared to their counterparts. In addition, 2D-NAs assembled using WS2 were least susceptible to desorption by the proteins tested, whereas nGO 2D-NAs were the most susceptible nanoassemblies. Later, the results of these systematic studies were used to construct a sensor array for discrimination of seven model proteins (BSA, lipase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, protease, β-galactosidase, and Cytochrome c). Neither the ssDNAs nor the 2D-nps have any specific interaction with the proteins tested. Only the displacement o...
Compounding Inequalities: How Racial Stereotypes and Discrimination Accumulate across the Stages of Housing Exchange:

Despite numerous legal interventions intended to mitigate racial discrimination in the United States, racial inequality persists in virtually every domain that matters for human well-being. To better understand the processes enabling this durable inequality, I undertake a case study of the housing market—a domain centrally linked to persistent, systemic disparity. I examine how racial stereotypes permeate the distinct but serially linked stages of the housing exchange process; the conditions under which stereotypes are deployed in each stage; and how such dynamics accumulate to affect ultimate processes of exclusion and inclusion. Drawing on one year of ethnographic fieldwork and more than 100 in-depth interviews in the Houston housing market, my findings demonstrate that widely shared, hierarchical stereotypes about race, supported by conditions such as network-necessitated rapport-building and discretion, compound discrimination across discrete stages of housing exchange. I argue that as this accumulati...
Oral tissue changes of radiation-oncology and their management.

The cytologic effects of radiation therapy involve all tissues and most significantly bone within the treated area. Of greatest concern is the permanence of the compromised healing and resistance to infection of the irradiated tissues. Those dental procedures that do not cause tissue trauma are considered nonrisk. Any procedure that traumatizes previously irradiated tissues can exceed the healing potential of the compromised tissue and frequently results in an uncontrollable necrosis. The adequate utilization of hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to be 95% effective in preventing osteoradionecrosis in postirradiated tissues. 9 references.
Social Capital and Knowledge Exchange in Hybrid Virtual Communities for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Preliminary Results.

This study investigates knowledge exchange in a Hybrid Virtual Communities (HVC) for patients with multiple sclerosis, that is a group of people with shared interests who meet face-to-face to exchange information or provide emotional support, but also coordinate or share information in a “virtual” or online environment Using discourse analysis and semi-structured interviews, I examine a face-to-face Multiple Sclerosis aquatics group and their virtual interactions. The investigation entails analysis of six months of e-mail dialogues between members and nineteen semi-structured interviews. Using the theoretical foundation of social capital (Jacobs 1960), network capital (Wellman and Frank, 2001) and a social support framework created by Drentea and Moren-Cross (2005), communications are classified as community building, emotional support, and instrumental support. The present research helps to explain the process of building and maintaining social support and exchanging knowledge in a patient-centric HVC.
The role of educational technology professionals as perceived by building administrators

Educational Technology (ETEC) professionals in the United States (US) fill multiple roles in public school systems. While these roles can be classified into broad categories, what remains unclear are the expectations and priorities for the completion of these roles and the tasks associated within each role category. In order for ETEC professionals to be successful, they need clear guidance on what their performance expectations and prioritized roles should be. This research seeks to add clarity regarding expectations by surveying K-12 building administrators to identify perceptions of ETEC professionals within their schools regarding their actual and ideal performances relative to eight role categories. Results indicate that these US building administrators place high importance on the Technological and Administrative Communication categories. The data also show that there is a significant gap between the ideal and actual performance expectations of ETEC professionals in all eight role categories, but most demonstrably within the Instructional Support and Teaching/Training categories. Results also signal the desire for ETEC professionals to focus more on training and collaboration with teachers regarding technology integration within classrooms. This suggests that administrators want ETEC professionals to complete more instructional tasks than they currently perform. Findings from this study hold implications for the training of ETEC professionals and can potentially inform the curriculum of educational technology preparation programs in the US and beyond.
Restrictive Opioid Prescribing Protocols Following Total Hip Arthroplasty and Total Knee Arthroplasty Are Safe and Effective.

Abstract Background Orthopedic surgeons may overprescribe opioids postoperatively. Literature examining opioid prescribing guidelines following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is limited. Methods Retrospective review was conducted of primary TJAs from June 2017 to February 2018, with 3-month follow-up. Patients were divided into those who underwent surgery before (historical cohort) and after (restrictive cohort) implementation of a strict postoperative opioid prescribing protocol. Results Three hundred ninety-nine total patients were included (282 in historical cohort, 117 in restrictive cohort). There was no significant difference in preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative inpatient opioid use. Historical cohort was given significantly larger initial prescriptions, received significantly more refills, and received significantly greater total quantity of opioids per patient. There were significantly fewer call-ins in the restrictive cohort. Clinical outcomes were not significantly different. Conclusion Drastic reductions in opioid prescriptions following TJA are possible without an increase in refills, call-ins, or adverse clinical effects.
Statement for Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection -- Hearing on 'Examining the GAO Report on Expectations of Government Support for Bank Holding Companies' Held July 31, 2014

On July 31, 2014, the US Senate Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held a hearing entitled "Examining the GAO Report on Expectations of Government Support for Bank Holding Companies." The hearing was related to a report of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that became public on that day and which focused on assessing the possible funding advantage that large bank holding companies considered "too big to fail" might benefit from. This document represents the statement (without appendices) that I submitted to accompany my testimony in this hearing. The statement discusses whether large bank holding companies can, or actually might, "fail," and, if so, how, addressing the difficulties associated with failure through bankruptcy as well as through the new FDIC-led resolution mechanism under Title II of the Dodd-Frank Act. My conclusion is that based on what we know today, it is virtually impossible, and there is clearly no way to assert that the large banking holding companies can go through either process without causing significant instability. This discussion highlights the critical importance of effective regulation of the indebtedness levels (or leverage) of these bank holding companies, which can be done through so-called capital regulation. I argue that the reform of these regulations is dangerously insufficient and flawed, thus exacerbating the problem of too-big-to-fail unnecessarily. I discuss the basic framework of trying to estimate the subsidies associated with expectations for government support and make a set of observations on various attempts at this estimation. But I argue that the exact size of the subsidies is less relevant than the perverse and extremely distortive effects of the subsidies, which are due to the manner in which the subsidies are delivered. By enabling the institutions to borrow at terms that do not reflect appropriately the risks taken, implicit guarantees add to the distortion of a tax code that penalize equity funding relative to debt, thus encouraging and rewarding dangerous, excessive and inefficient levels of borrowing and reckless conduct. The overall effect is to widen the persistent gap between the interest of those who make decisions within the banks and what serves the broader public. I conclude with a set of urgent policy recommendations, warning that failure to take action to counter the distorted incentives puts the public at excessive risk and maintains harmful inefficiencies in the economy.
A harmonized image processing workflow using Sentinel-2/MSI and Landsat-8/OLI for mapping water clarity in optically variable lake systems

Abstract This study demonstrates the applicability of harmonizing Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Imager (MSI) and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) satellite imagery products to enable the monitoring of inland lake water clarity in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) environment. Processing steps include (1) atmospheric correction and masking of MSI and OLI imagery, and (2) generating scene-based water clarity maps in terms of Secchi depth (SD). We adopted ocean-color based atmospheric correction theory for MSI and OLI sensors modified with associated scene-specific metadata and auxiliary datasets available in GEE to generate uniform remote sensing reflectances (R rs ) products over optically variable freshwater lake surfaces. MSI-R rs products derived from the atmospheric correction were used as input predictors in a bootstrap forest to determine significant band combinations to predict water clarity. A SD model for MSI (SD MSI ) was then developed using a calibration dataset consisting of log-transformed SD in situ measurements (lnSD in situ ) from 79 optically variable freshwater inland lakes collected within ±1 day of satellite overpass on 23-Aug 2017 (MAE = 0.53 m) and validated with 276 samples collected within ±1 day of a 12-Sep 2017 image (MAE = 0.66 m) across three ecoregions in Minnesota, USA. A separate SD model for MSI was also developed using similar spectral bands present on the OLI sensor (SD sOLI ) where cross-sensor performance can be evaluated during coincident overpass events. SD sOLI applied to both MSI and OLI (SD OLI ) models were further validated using two coincident overpass sets of imagery on 27-Sep 2017 ( n = 18) and 13-Aug 2018 ( n = 43), yielding a range of error from 0.25 to 0.67 m. Potential sources of model errors and limitations are discussed. Data derived from this multi-sensor methodology is anticipated to be used by researchers, lake resource managers, and citizens to expedite the pre-processing steps so that actionable information can be retrieved for decision making.
Serverless Science Gateway Development for Ca2+ binding site prediction on Amazon Web Services: Case Study

In this paper we discuss the development of a science gateway; identifying Ca2+ binding sites in proteins using a java application developed by Dr. Jenny Yang at the Chemistry department, Georgia State University. Starting with a Protein Data Bank (PDB) X-ray or NMR structure file, MUGC application predicts calcium binding sites using a graph theory-based algorithm [1]. The project creates a science gateway to provide access to the MUGC algorithm using tools provided by Amazon Web Services. The full-stack solution uses S3 storage, AWS Lambda functions, and API gateway to relay the PDB files to the back-end computing in EC2. Architecture for a full stack serverless processing pipeline is implemented which allows users to access the application. The design is optimized for scalability, reliability, security, performance, and cost.
“I Wanna Be Sedated”: A Closer Examination of Psychosocial Factors Associated With Past-Year Tranquilizer Use Among National Sample of Sexual Minority Adults:

Sexual minorities are at increased risk of substance use disorders. Gaps in the research exist regarding tranquilizer use among sexual minorities. Identifying risk factors associated with tranquili...
A low-inductance Sectional Busbar for Snuberless Operation of SiC-based EV Traction Inverters

This paper presents a low-inductance dc busbar for SiC-based electric vehicle traction inverters operating at high ambient temperatures. Unlike the laminated busbars, which use parallel copper sheets to establish low-inductance connection between the dc-link capacitor bank and all the switching devices, the proposed busbar uses capacitor sections which are vertically mounted on top of each power semiconductor module. This significantly reduces the busbar’s parasitic inductance and eliminates the unreliable snubber circuit which is typically used with laminated and PCB busbars to reduce the overvoltage spikes across the fast-switching semiconductor devices during the device turn-off transients.
George Marshall: Defender of the Republic

In George Marshall: Defender of the Republic, David L. Roll has produced a welcome addition to the scholarship on the US Army’s most famous chief of staff. This new biography of Marshall will appea...
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma presenting as a mass in a Spigelian hernia. Report of a case.

Background Gastrointestinal cancer, gynecologic cancer and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma may disseminate widely to the surfaces of the abdomen and pelvis. In some patients this spread of the disease may find its way into a hernia sac. Methods The Spigelian hernia is caused by a protrusion of the peritoneum of the anterior abdominal wall into the abdominal wall muscle. This peritoneal defect occurs through the semilunar line of Spiegel in or closely associated with the semicircular line of Douglas. Results A patient presented with a large (11 cm greatest diameter) mass in the left lower quadrant. The mass was composed of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and was anatomically located within the Spigelian hernia belt. At the time of cytoreductive surgery numerous other sites of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma were present within the abdomen and pelvis. Conclusions The left lower quadrant mass was a malignant peritoneal mesothelioma presenting within a Spigelian hernia defect. This phenomenon has not been previously reported.
Identifying the existence and molecular structure of the dissolved HCO3-Ca-As(V) complex in water.

Abstract Calcium (Ca2+) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) ions co-exist with arsenic (As) in natural water systems, while Ca-based materials such as lime and cement are widely used to immobilize As(V) in contaminated solids. In this paper, a new dissolved ternary complex, HCO3-Ca-As(V), was discovered and its molecular structure was identified. The results from the batch experiments showed that adding As(V) to the solutions containing Ca2+ and HCO3– increased the dissolved Ca concentration from 4.8 to 73.2 mg/L at pH 11. Both infrared and X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated the presence of dissolved HCO3-Ca-As(V) complex. Based on the quantitative geometric information obtained from the spectroscopic results, the molecule of (OH)OC-O-(OH2)4Ca-O2-As(OH)2 was identified by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Although Ca2+ and As(V) can form complex without HCO3−, the presence of HCO3– further enhanced the stability of the dissolved Ca complex, as evidenced by the lower binding energy (BE) of HCO3-Ca-As(V) (−329.1959 kJ/mol) than Ca-As(V) (4.7171 kJ/mol). The discovery of dissolved HCO3-Ca-As(V) complex is important for understanding the mobility of As(V) in natural water, and the possible release of As(V) in contaminated solids treated with Ca-based materials.
Short term efficacy of recombinant porcine factor VIII in patients with factor VIII inhibitors.

BACKGROUND Antibodies against factor VIII (FVIII), seen in acquired (AHA) and congenital haemophilia A, lead to severe bleeding diatheses. Current first-line treatment includes bypass agents. Recombinant porcine sequence FVIII (rpFVIII) was developed as an alternative therapy. AIM To describe our institutional experience with the use of rpFVIII. METHODS A retrospective chart review of five patients treated with rpVIII between 2016 and 2019. RESULTS Five patients (four AHA, one congenital haemophilia with inhibitors) were treated with rpFVIII. No patient had an adverse event during infusion. All patients initially exhibited a response evidenced by increased FVIII levels from baseline <1% to 81%-170%, normalization of the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and resolution of bleeding. However, all five patients were subsequently noted to have decreasing peak FVIII levels and aPTT prolongation, either within the initial treatment course or upon later re-administration. Resistance to rpFVIII was recognized after an average of 12.4 exposure days. Porcine FVIII inhibitor levels measured afterwards were present (detectable-170 Bethesda units) in all patients. Three out of four AHA subjects also developed an increase in the anti-human FVIII inhibitor titres after receiving rpFVIII. CONCLUSION rpFVIII was safe and initially effective in all patients. However, its use is associated with development of an inhibitor to rpFVIII, decreasing its efficacy and duration of effect. Further, rpFVIII use may lead to an increase in patient anti-human FVIII inhibitor titres. A larger study is necessary to appropriately assess the incidence of these outcomes.
Magnetic Field Strength and Temperature Effects on the Behavior of Oil Well Cement Slurry Modified with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Quantified with Vipulanandan Models

The focus of this study was to investigate the methods that could potentially be easy to adopt in field to modify cement slurry rheological properties in situ during the installation of oil and gas wells. In this study, we investigated the effects of magnetic field strengths and temperatures on the rheological properties of an oil well cement (Class H) modified with iron oxide nanoparticles (NanoFe2O3). Also, the sensitivity of using electrical resistivity in monitoring changes in the cement slurry was also investigated. The water-to-cement ratio used in this study was 0.38, since it is a popular ratio used in oil well cementing. The NanoFe2O3 contents (average particle size of 30 nm) in the cement slurry were varied up to 1 % by the weight of cement. The temperature was varied from 25°C to 85°C. The magnetic field strength was varied up to 0.6 T. The initial electrical resistivity of the cement slurry modified with NanoFe2O3 decreased by 6 % to 52 % based on the NanoFe2O3 content, temperature, and magnetic field strength. The shear thinning behavior of the cement slurry with and without NanoFe2O3 has been quantified using the Vipulanandan rheological model and compared to the Herschel-Bulkley model. The results show that the Vipulanandan rheological model predicted the shear thinning relationship between the shear stress and shear strain rate of the NanoFe2O3-modified cement slurry very well with the maximum shear stress tolerance. The rheological properties of the cement slurry modified with NanoFe2O3 under different magnetic field strengths have been correlated to the electrical resistivity of the cement slurry using a nonlinear resistivity and Vipulanandan property correlation models. Thus, the performance of the cement slurry with and without NanoFe2O3 can be characterized based on the electrical resistivity, which can be used as a real-time monitoring tool in the field.
Optimal timing and treatment strategy for pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND For pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), no studies have established any association between earlier treatment initiation and long-term outcomes. In addition, an optimal type of initial treatment for the localized disease remains ill-defined. METHODS Patients in the National Cancer Database (2004-2015) with clinical stage I (CS-I) and II (CS-II) PDAC who underwent curative-intent resection were included. Optimal time from diagnosis-to-treatment including neoadjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemoradiation, or upfront surgery was assessed. An optimal type of treatment was evaluated. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). RESULTS Among 29 167 patients, starting any treatment within 0 to 6 weeks was associated with improved median OS compared with 7 to 12 weeks (21.0 vs 20.1 months; P = .004). This persisted when accounting for sex, race, and Charlson-Deyo score (hazard ratio [HR], 0.94; P = 0.02) and on subset analysis for CS-I (23.5 vs 21.8 months; P = .04) and CS-II (19.4 vs 18.3 months; P = .03). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved OS compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (25.6 vs 22.7 months; P < .0001) or US (25.6 vs 20.1 months; P < .0001) even when accounting for sex, race, and Charlson-Deyo score (neoadjuvant chemoradiation: HR, 0.86; P < .001; US: HR, 0.79; P < .001). This improvement persisted in subset analysis with NC compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CS-I: 28.6 vs 25.0 months; CS-II: 25.0 vs 22.9 months; both P < .0001) and to US (CS-I: 28.6 vs 22.9 months; CS-II: 24.7 vs 18.4 months; both P < .0001). On multivariable analysis for each CS-I/CS-II, NC remained associated with 20% improved survival compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiation or upfront surgery. CONCLUSIONS For PDAC, initiation of therapy within 6 weeks from diagnosis is associated with improved survival, with neoadjuvant chemotherapy associated with the best survival compared with neoadjuvant chemoradiation or upfront surgery.
Evaluating the Efficiency of Six-DoF Haptic Rendering-Based Virtual Assembly Training

Haptics plays an important role in training users to assemble mechanical components, such as airplane or car parts. Because mechanical components are often geometrically complex, efficient collision detection and six-DoF haptic rendering of contact are required for virtual assembly, and this has been extensively explored in prior work. However, as this article shows, this alone is not sufficient for efficient virtual assembly training. This article asks how to augment six-DoF haptic rendering of contact to maximize virtual assembly training efficiency, and proposes and measures several visual and haptic guidance strategies. Our visual strategies consist of displaying animations of the correct assembly path, motion indicator cues, and close-ups on difficult assembly path sections. Our haptic guidance consists of forces and torques that correct the trainee’s deviation from the path. We investigate several haptic guidance strategies, including continuous forces and torques, force/torque nudging and anti-forces/torques. We designed a user study to evaluate the training efficiency of our proposed strategies quantitatively, using ANOVA and Tukey statistics. Our main finding is that the most efficient training approach is to use haptic rendering of contact in combination with visual animation-based guidance. Continuous forces, nudging, anti-forces and motion indicator cues were measured to be less effective.