cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-specific survival of Florida's Crested Caracaras

Abstract To evaluate the status of Florida's threatened Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) population, knowledge of life history parameters and population dynamics is required. Using the program MARK, I estimated survival rates for adult and juvenile Crested Caracaras from breeding areas in southcentral Florida during the period February 1994 through March 2000. Annual adult survival probabilities estimated from resightings of banded individuals and derived using model averaging were 0.876 for males and 0.906 for females. Results of modeling monthly juvenile caracara survival from radiotelemetry data identified differences in survival for two age groups: juveniles (up to age 3 years) and adults (age >3 years). Using this age-effects model, monthly survival for juvenile caracaras was estimated to be 0.970, indicating an annual survival rate of 0.694 and an overall probability of 0.334 of an individual surviving to age 3, when it could potentially become a breeder. Juvenile caracaras experienced periods o...
Using nation-wide health insurance claims data to augment lyme disease surveillance

Abstract Objective: Lyme disease (LD) is the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in North America. To improve LD surveillance, we explored claims data as an adjunct data source for monitoring trends in Lyme disease incidence. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed claims from a nationwide US health insurance plan, identifying patients with newly diagnosed LD in 13 high-prevalence states over two time periods, 2004–2006 and 2010–2012. Results: The average LD case incidence as estimated by using claims data in 2010–2012 (75.67 per 100,000 person-years, n = 3474) was 1.50 times higher than 2004–2006 (50.25 per 100,000 person-years, n = 1965) (p < 0.001) and higher than incidence reported by the states to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the 13 highest-prevalence states, there were 11 states with increased LD incidence over time. Conclusions: Surveillance systems should explore a fusion of data sources, including payer claims that appear to be highly sensitive with limitations, with e...
Subversive Complicity and Basic Writing across the Curriculum.

What follows is a simple assertion: time for basic writing to get out from under, a call for us to inculcate a Basic Writing Across the Curriculum. It is time yet again to move away from the concept that basic writers are in need of remedies, in part because all compo- sition courses are in some sense remedial, and to a greater degree because the "illness" that we seek to remedy is in being at least discursively other-cultural. Within this essay there are reflections, speculations, considerations of how to go about what is demanded of us—encul- turation and assimilation—while doing what it is we believe we ought to do—promote critical consciousness, something that many of us in many disciplines seek to do, even if those in other disciplines are unaware of the term.
How Eurocentric is Your Day

Nearly all Western writings contain a Eurocentric bias that springs from the assumption that all the branches of modern civilization have originated in the West. The corollary to this is that all or nearly all the ideas, institutions, habits and objects that define the life of a modern person (or Westerner) are of Western origin. In a playful manner, this essay shows this is not true. By simply following your average college student through her daily activities, you will quickly discover the diverse sources of her ideas, artifacts and culture.
Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2SrCo2O9 Tellurium-Doped Single Crystalline Whiskers

Long single crystalline whiskers (10-200 µm diameter) were synthesized using tellurium-doped precursors. The length of these whiskers varies from less than 1 mm up to 9 mm. The thermopower and resistivity were approximately 150 µV/K and 5 mΩ-cm respectively at 325K. The thermopower was measured using a differential technique, while the resistivity was measured using a standard four-probe method. The thermal conductivity of these small samples was measured using our parallel thermal conductance technique. The total thermal conductivity was on the order of 2 Wm−1K−1.
Variation in herbivore density among host plants and its consequences for community structure

The densities of four species of gall-forming sawflies were found to vary significantly among willow host plant clones. Two of the speices varied among host plants at four sites in each of three years. The other two species varied in density among host plants at most of the sites in two of the three years. Total sawfly density also varied significantly among clones. Individual species densities on willow clones were significantly positively correlated between years when all sites were combined and frequently when sites were considered separately. Most pairwise species combinations were independent in density between years, but some negative correlations existed between the stem galler and the leaf galler. Gall-former densities also were largely independent among clones within years with all sites combined and with sites considered separately. The significant correlations were nearly all positive. At all four sites the combination of significant variation in sawfly densities among willow clones in the field and independence of species densities among clones resulted in significantly different communities (relative abundance of species) among willow clones in three years. Although sawfly abundances differed substantially among the four sites, this remained true. It is argued that the pattern of community structure among clones is the result of variation in host plant quality of clones. We propose an hypothesis to account for patterns of herbivore species associations based on intrapopulation host plant variation.
Comparative Reactivity of Zr– and Pd–Alkyl Complexes with Carbon Dioxide

Structure/reactivity trends and DFT studies reveal mechanistic differences and parallels for the carboxylation of Zr and Pd alkyls. CO2 reacts with Cp2ZrMe(C6D5Cl)+ >104 faster than with Cp2ZrMe2, yielding monoacetate products in both cases. These reactions proceed by insertion mechanisms in which Zr- - -O interactions activate the CO2. In contrast, CO2 reacts readily with [(PO-iPr)PdMe2]− (PO-iPr– = 2-PiPr2-4-Me-C6H3SO3–) to yield [(PO-iPr)PdMe(OAc)]− but not with (PO-iPr)PdMe(L) species. Carboxylation of [(PO-iPr)PdMe2]− occurs by direct SE2 attack of CO2 at the Pd–Metrans-to-P group, and the nucleophilicity of the Pd–Me group controls the reactivity. However, the SE2 process is accelerated by a Li+- - -OCO interaction when Li+ is present.
Media Governance,Information Asymmetry and Crash Risk

Based on the data of A-share listed companies during 2002-2011, we investigate the relationship among media following,information asymmetry and crash risk from the perspective of media governance mechanism. The study shows that the more media following,the lower stock price crash risk, further, media governance functions is more significant in the higher degree of information asymmetry. The findings indicate, in the context of the need for improvement of investor protection system, it would be an effective way to reduce crash risk to enhance the freedom of media report and to encourage the media to supervise the securities market.
Tubular Transport in Acute Kidney Injury: Relevance for Diagnosis, Prognosis and Intervention

The clinical diagnosis and recovery of acute kidney injury (AKI) are mainly based on the rapid decline of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and its subsequent recovery. The factors that determine kidney recovery and reduce the risk of subsequent progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD), however, are poorly understood. Thus, there is a need to better define the magnitude and time pattern of changes in kidney function during AKI and its recovery that go beyond GFR. Tubular transport regulates body homeostasis and the associated transport work is a primary determinant of the kidneys' energy needs. The tubular system is at the center of the pathophysiology of AKI and its recovery. In particular, proximal tubules and thick ascending limbs have been proposed to act as sensors, effectors and injury recipients of AKI stimuli. Surprisingly little attention has been given to aspects of tubular transport function in AKI and the relevance for kidney recovery. This review aims to outline changes in tubular transport function in AKI, discusses their potential consequences and relevance for the diagnosis and prognosis of AKI and its recovery, including changes in GFR, and poses the question whether tubular transport provides an opportunity for intervention to rest the tubular system, which may have consequences for the progression to CKD. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Outcome of Absence Epilepsy

A meta-analysis of 2303 patients with a diagnosis of absence epilepsy (AE), derived from 26 publications on 23 study cohorts, was conducted at Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands.
Wake up, Russia! Political activism and the reanimation of agency

When protest movements do not achieve policy outcomes, they are often considered failures. But as I learned while working with feminist and pro-LGBT activists in Moscow's radical left, becoming a political activist may in itself be an important form of resistance to overwhelming and demoralizing power structures. During the mass anti-Putin protests of 2011–2012, which were widely experienced as an awakening of political subjectivities, to talk with activists about what constituted “politics” was to talk about the possibility of agency in the face of what often appears to be overwhelming constraint. Activism can thus be as much a form of subjectivity work as a means of changing public policy.
A relativistic treatment of the kinetic and canonical electromagnetic systems

For the past century, optical momentum within media has been under question regarding mathematically exact momentum models [1]. The controversy originated when two independent electromagnetic stress-energy-momentum (SEM) tensors were postulated for the mathematical modeling of light within materials [2, 3]. From the proposed SEM tensors, the momentum density expressions were defined as being either D × B [2] or ∈ 0 µ 0 E × H [3]. Recent research has demonstrated that the former momentum density is known to be the canonical momentum density and the latter momentum density as the kinetic momentum density, where integration over the volume renders the corresponding momentum (kinetic or canonical) of the pulse of light within the medium [4]. Over the years, several electromagnetic theories have been applied in attempt to resolve the dilemma. This resulted in the commonly applied, leading formulations that are used in modeling electrodynamics within materials [1]: the Minkowski formulation for the canonical subsystem and the Chu, Einstein-Laub, and Abraham formulations for the kinetic subsystem. The remaining question is, “What formulation accurately models the field dynamics of the kinetic subsystem?” Thus, we demonstrate the electromagnetic force and power expressions corresponding to the field-kinetic and canonical systems by use of the relativistic principle of virtual power and relativistic SEM transforms [5]. After, we employ the prescribed electromagnetic force and power expressions associated with the proposed field-kinetic and canonical systems to analytically model and demonstrate the differences between the electromagnetic subsystems. Each analysis sheds light as to how each corresponding electromagnetic interpretation accounts for global energy-momentum conservation. In doing so, we effectively disprove the Einstein-Laub formulation and reassert the relativistic inconsistencies within the Abraham formulation [6], thereby demonstrating the Chu formulation as the relativistically invariant field-kinetic formulation.
Losing one's touch: Evolution of the touch-sensitive stigma in the Mimulus guttatus species complex

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The stigmas of several species are touch sensitive and respond to pressure by closing. Previous research suggests that stigma closure could prevent self pollination within a flower during a pollinator's visit or enhance male function by increasing pollen export. Both factors could be favored in outcrossers, and neither would be beneficial in selfers. METHODS We investigated variation in stigma-closing and the duration of closure in annual and perennial populations of the variable species Mimulus guttatus and whether four closely related selfing species (M. cupriphilus, M. laciniatus, M. nasutus, and M. pardalis) have lost their touch sensitivity. We grew plants in a controlled environment and performed experiments with and without the addition of pollen to the stigma. KEY RESULTS In M. guttatus, the speed of stigma-closing was rapid and unaffected by the deposition of pollen. Populations varied significantly in closing speed, which may reflect their geographic location. For annual populations only, anther-stigma separation significantly affected closing speed. Also, stigmas that closed quickly stayed closed longer, and stigmas that received pollen remained closed longer. Finally, in the selfing species, stigma-closing was more variable; some populations have entirely lost the ability to respond to touch. CONCLUSIONS We discuss our results in the context of traits that promote outcrossing and traits that are under selection during the evolution of selfing. This is the first characterization of variation in touch responses across multiple populations within a species and the first to demonstrate the loss of touch sensitivity in selfing lineages.
Relaxed Biquadratic Optimization for Joint Filter-Signal Design in Signal-Dependent STAP

We investigate an alternative solution method to the joint signal-beamformer optimization problem considered in a recent publication devoted to this topic. First, we directly demonstrate that the problem, which minimizes the received noise, interference, and clutter power under a minimum variance distortionless response constraint, is generally nonconvex and we provide insight into the nature of the nonconvexity. Second, we employ the theory of biquadratic optimization and semidefinite relaxations to produce a relaxed version of the problem, which we show to be convex . The optimality conditions of this relaxed problem are examined and a variety of potential solutions are found, both analytically and numerically. These solutions are then compared to existing alternating minimization schemes.
Electrophysiological Indices of Audiovisual Speech Perception in the Broader Autism Phenotype.

When a speaker talks, the consequences of this can both be heard (audio) and seen (visual). A novel visual phonemic restoration task was used to assess behavioral discrimination and neural signatures (event-related potentials, or ERP) of audiovisual processing in typically developing children with a range of social and communicative skills assessed using the social responsiveness scale, a measure of traits associated with autism. An auditory oddball design presented two types of stimuli to the listener, a clear exemplar of an auditory consonant–vowel syllable /ba/ (the more frequently occurring standard stimulus), and a syllable in which the auditory cues for the consonant were substantially weakened, creating a stimulus which is more like /a/ (the infrequently presented deviant stimulus). All speech tokens were paired with a face producing /ba/ or a face with a pixelated mouth containing motion but no visual speech. In this paradigm, the visual /ba/ should cause the auditory /a/ to be perceived as /ba/, creating an attenuated oddball response; in contrast, a pixelated video (without articulatory information) should not have this effect. Behaviorally, participants showed visual phonemic restoration (reduced accuracy in detecting deviant /a/) in the presence of a speaking face. In addition, ERPs were observed in both an early time window (N100) and a later time window (P300) that were sensitive to speech context (/ba/ or /a/) and modulated by face context (speaking face with visible articulation or with pixelated mouth). Specifically, the oddball responses for the N100 and P300 were attenuated in the presence of a face producing /ba/ relative to a pixelated face, representing a possible neural correlate of the phonemic restoration effect. Notably, those individuals with more traits associated with autism (yet still in the non-clinical range) had smaller P300 responses overall, regardless of face context, suggesting generally reduced phonemic discrimination.
Insect pollinators collect pollen from wind‐pollinated plants: implications for pollination ecology and sustainable agriculture

Current research, management and outreach programmes relevant to insect pollinator conservation are strongly focused on relationships between pollinators and insect-pollinated crops and wild plants. Pollinators also visit wind-pollinated plants to collect pollen, or for nest sites and materials, but these interactions are largely overlooked. I review documented records of bee and syrphid fly species collecting pollen from wind-pollinated plant taxa, including economically important crops, and provide the most comprehensive collation of peer-reviewed records of pollinators visiting wind-pollinated plants to date. I argue for more basic research into functional relationships between insect pollinators and wind-pollinated plants. I found over 200 visitation records for 101 wind-pollinated plant genera in 25 families, including 4 of the 12 gymnosperm families. Almost half the records (49%) were for grasses and sedges (Poales). I also identified records of bees and/or syrphid flies visiting 10 economically important wind-pollinated crop plant species, including three major grain crops (rice, corn, and sorghum). Most records (70%) were from indirect pollen analysis from hives, nest cells or insect bodies, highlighting the need for more direct observational studies of plant–pollinator interactions. Insect pollinator communities require resource diversity to persist in a landscape. Hence, researchers and land managers aiming to identify links between pollinators and ecosystem function should also consider broader interactions beyond the standard traits of the entomophily syndrome.
Digestion and Absorption

The gastrointestinal tract (gut) is an organized, specialized, and segmented filter designed to absorb nutrients and other beneficial food-derived compounds and allow the rest to pass unabsorbed in stool. Prior to elimination, however, a rich milieu of microorganisms is nourished and sustained by this unabsorbed dietary material. The processes of digestion and absorption, as well as bacterial processes in the intestinal tract, influence kidney stones and other aspects of health. This chapter provides a brief review of normal gastrointestinal digestion and absorption and also includes a focus on specific mechanisms contributing to kidney stones, including common gut disorders.
Apollo - An advanced fuel fusion power reactor for the 21st century

A preconceptual design of a tokamak reactor fueled by a D-He-3 plasma is presented, A low aspect ratio (A=2−4) device is studied here but high aspect ratio devices (A > 6) may also be quite attract...
Characterization of SNP markers for the painted bunting (Passerina ciris) and their relevance in population differentiation and genome evolution studies

We developed nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) using next-generation sequencing genotyping on the Illumina HiSeq4000 platform. Following the best-RAD approach, we sequenced 96 individuals from five breeding populations occurring in the United States. We assessed the discerning power of 105,000 SNPs and confirmed the quality of these markers in population differentiation studies. We detected outlier SNPs within or near protein coding genes, including sequences coding for olfactory receptors which may relate to migratory navigation. Finally, we provide a novel list of 33 primer pairs flanking SNPs to link individuals to regional populations and improve our understanding of the evolution of this migratory songbird.
Massively parallel frequency domain electromagnetic simulation codes

This paper provides an overview of the electromagnetic frequency domain simulation capabilities of the Electromagnetic Theory department at Sandia National Laboratories via a description of two of its codes. EIGER is a Method of Moments code for electromagnetic simulations, but it only runs on traditional CPUs, not on new architectures. Gemma is in development to replace EIGER and will run on many architectures, including CPUs, GPUs, and MICs, by leveraging the Kokkos library.
Winch Simulation: Multiple, Linked Representations of Linear Functions

A computer simulation of a physical system designed to embody the concept of linear function, in combination with several symbolic representations, has been developed for the investigation of students' understanding of the concepts of variables and functions. The computer simulation grounds learning about symbolic representations of function in students' intuitive understanding of the functional relations among physical quantities. In addition, the simulation and symbolic representations are connected computationally, so that dynamic changes between representations are made visible to the student. A brief description of an investigation in which students used the simulation to learn about linear functions is also presented.
Systematics and Circularity

A central theme in David Hull’s writings about systematics has been the impossibility and the undesirability of theory neutrality (see, e.g., Hull 1967,1970,1979, 1988). Pheneticists at times defended their insistence on equally weighted characters by saying that the introduction of theoretical — in particular, evolutionary —considerations into the construction of classifications would somehow vitiate the taxonomic enterprise. More recently, some defenders of cladistic procedures have argued that phylogenetic reconstructions must be produced without exploiting nontrivial assumptions about the evolutionary process. Both these points of view Hull has greeted with considerable skepticism.
Electrophoretic and Chromatographic Methods for Assessing Protein Purity

Electrophoretic methods are widely used in protein science to determine sample purity, molecular weight, and sometime isoelectric point. In this chapter we shall review the most commonly used electrophoretic methods that are applied to proteins.
Effect of micro-additions of Ge, In or Sn on precipitation in dilute Al-Sc-Zr alloys

Abstract Trace amounts of inoculants - germanium (0.02 at%), indium (0.02 at%) or tin (0.01 at%) - were added to a ternary Al-0.06Sc-0.06Zr at% alloy to study their effects on Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitation. During isothermal aging at 300 °C, the In- and Sn-containing alloys exhibit an early microhardness increases, which is attributed to In or Sn clustering. Peak isothermal microhardness due to Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitation is achieved simultaneously (~4 h) for the three inoculated alloys and an inoculant-free alloy. Isochronal aging produces a low-temperature microhardening response for the In- and Sn-containing alloys, followed by two microhardness peaks at 350 and 450 °C for all four alloys, associated with precipitation of Sc and Zr, respectively. Atom-probe tomography demonstrates partitioning of Ge and Sn (up to 0.5 at%) from the matrix to the Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates, with partitioning to Sc-rich precipitate cores (for isothermal aging) or to both Sc-rich cores and Zr-rich shells (for isochronal aging). Inoculant partitioning at precipitate cores and early low-temperature microhardness increases are consistent with inoculant clustering to form nucleation sites for Sc and Zr precipitation. Inoculant segregation at the precipitate shells can be explained by co-precipitation of the fast-diffusing inoculant element and the slow-diffusing Zr, between which an attractive binding energy exists. When compared to the inoculant-free control alloy with a somewhat higher Sc content, the three inoculated alloys exhibit a 2- to 10-fold decrease in creep rates at 300 °C for stresses above ~18 MPa, but a small reduction in creep threshold stresses from 12 to ~10 MPa.
Adversarial Action Prediction Networks

Different from after-the-fact action recognition, action prediction task requires action labels to be predicted from partially observed videos containing incomplete action executions. It is challenging because these partial videos have insufficient discriminative information, and their temporal structure is damaged. We study this problem in this paper, and propose an efficient and powerful deep network for learning representative and discriminative features for action prediction. Our approach exploits abundant sequential context information in full videos to enrich the feature representations of partial videos. This information is encoded in latent representations using a variational autoencoder (VAE), which are encouraged to be progress-invariant. Decoding such latent representations using another VAE, we can reconstruct missing information in the features extracted from partial videos. An adversarial learning scheme is adopted to differentiate the reconstructed features from the features directly extracted from full videos in order to well align their distributions. A multi-class classifier is also used to encourage the features to be discriminative. Our network jointly learns features and classifiers, and generates the features particularly optimized for action prediction. Extensive experimental results on UCF101, Sports-1M and BIT datasets demonstrate that our approach remarkably outperforms state-of-the-art methods, and shows significant speedup over these methods. Results also show that actions differ in their prediction characteristics; some actions can be correctly predicted even though only the beginning $10\%$ 10 % portion of videos is observed.
Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction After Gastric Bypass: Surgical or Endoscopic Therapy?

Abstract Background Management of Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD) requires advanced techniques (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography via gastrostomy [GERCP]) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for obesity. Transduodenal sphincteroplasty (TS) is also performed yet carries the risks of surgery. We hypothesized that TS would have increased morbidity and mortality but provide a more durable remission of symptoms. Methods All patients between 2005 and 2016 with RYGB for obesity undergoing endoscopic or surgical management for type I or II SOD were included in the study. Patients with type III SOD, or who underwent RYGB for nonobesity indications, were excluded. Results Thirty-eight patients were identified. GERCP was initially performed in 17 patients, whereas TS was performed in 21. Thirty-day mortality was 0% in our cohort, and 30-d morbidity was similar between GERCP and TS (29% versus 10%; P = 0.207). Resolution of symptoms after initial therapy was seen in 41% of GERCP (7/17) and 67% of TS (14/21) (P = 0.190), respectively, and overall after 35% (8/23) and 64% (16/24) of procedures performed (P = 0.042). Symptom resolution, as defined by the median ratio of days of total remission by total days of observed follow-up, was shorter after initial and all interventions with GERCP compared with TS (0.67 versus 1.00, P = 0.036 and 0.52 versus 1.00, P = 0.028, respectively). Conclusions Endoscopic and surgical treatment of SOD had similar morbidity and mortality. However, treatment success and duration of remission was higher in those treated with surgery.
Amnioreduction in cases of polyhydramnios: Indications and outcomes in singleton pregnancies without fetal interventions.

Abstract Objective To evaluate indications, pregnancy outcomes, and risk of adverse events following amnioreduction procedures in singleton gestations. Study design Study of all amnioreduction procedures performed on singleton gestations complicated by polyhydramnios between January 2011 and June 2018 at our tertiary and regional referral fetal center. Clinical indications for amnioreduction procedures were categorized as either maternal shortness of breath, perceived abdominal tightness, or preterm uterine contractions with or without cervical change. Our primary outcome(s) of interest were: preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), placental abruption, chorioamnionitis and/or preterm delivery, each in isolation or as a composite. Results Among 358 patients who underwent amnioreduction in the study period, 251 arose from cases of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and 74 were singletons undergoing additional fetal intervention procedures. Each of the remaining 33 patients underwent a median number of one [range 1–12] amnioreductions over the antepartum interval, yielding a total of 66 amnioreduction procedures. Among the study cohort, there were no instances of PPROM, placental abruption, chorioamnionitis or preterm delivery within the 12 h following the procedure but 10.6% experienced preterm delivery within 48 h of amnioreduction. Conclusion Our data suggests that among singleton gestations, there was a low risk for preterm delivery in close proximity to the procedure and none experienced rupture of membranes, placental abruption, sepsis, fetal demise or neonatal death. This data may be used in counseling of potential candidates for amnioreduction with singleton pregnancies and symptomatic polyhydramnios.
Problems of Practice: From the Principal's Perspective.

This article explores the way that principals understand the nature of the problems that deter schools from better accomplishing their missions. The views presented are those of approximately 40 el...
An Evaluation of SC-FDMA Signal Transmission in Radio over Fiber Mobile Fronthaul

In recent years, tele-health trends indicate the needs for health services via the internet. Patients use smartphones or tablets for consultations, health video streaming, health monitors with specialist at health center. The internet networks is necessary to access these services. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the network transmission. In related work, researcher analyzed performance in downlink system using OFDMA scheme. In this paper we analyzed the uplink network performance, from smartphones to telecommunications central office using radio over fiber, when the SC-FDMA signals are transferred in Analog RoF (A-RoF) link. We present simulation results in the form of network performance and bit error rate.
Orthogonal SARS-CoV-2 Serological Assays Enable Surveillance of Low-Prevalence Communities and Reveal Durable Humoral Immunity.

We conducted a serological study to define correlates of immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Compared to those with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, individuals with severe disease exhibited elevated virus-neutralizing titers and antibodies against the nucleocapsid (N) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. Age and sex played lesser roles. All cases, including asymptomatic individuals, seroconverted by 2 weeks after PCR confirmation. Spike RBD and S2 and neutralizing antibodies remained detectable through 5-7 months after onset, whereas α-N titers diminished. Testing 5,882 members of the local community revealed only 1 sample with seroreactivity to both RBD and S2 that lacked neutralizing antibodies. This fidelity could not be achieved with either RBD or S2 alone. Thus, inclusion of multiple independent assays improved the accuracy of antibody tests in low-seroprevalence communities and revealed differences in antibody kinetics depending on the antigen. We conclude that neutralizing antibodies are stably produced for at least 5-7 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Top 10 Developments in International Environmental Law: 1990-2020

The thirtieth anniversary of the Yearbook of International Environmental Law presents an opportunity to take stock of how international environmental law has developed since 1990, both as a subject area and as a discipline. In this essay, I briefly outline the foundational elements of international environmental law–which to a significant degree had been laid as of 1990–and my top ten list of developments since then.
Genomic characterization of malignant pleural mesothelioma and associated clinical outcomes

Abstract Introduction Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. While treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard of care, many patients have rapid progression of disease with a median overall survival of ~12 months. Limited data exist about the genomic alterations associated with MPM and their clinical implications. Methods We report genomic alterations and clinical data for 17 patients with MPM who had next generation sequencing performed. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier method. Results Median age at diagnosis was 70 years (range 55–85), and 47% of the patients were male. The most common genomic alterations in the 17 patients were NF2 (53%), BAP1 (41%), CDKN2A (41%) and TP53 (29%). The median OS was 10.8 months. When stratified by mutational status, patients had better median OS if they had a BAP1 alteration compared to TP53 alteration (median OS 14.5 vs 7.2 months). Median PFS with first-line chemotherapy was 7 months (SD ± 3.3). However, patients with TP53 mutations had worse PFS with chemotherapy with median of only 3.9 months. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) was available for 12 patients and all had low TMB (range 1 to 8.1 mutation/Mb). Median PFS with immunotherapy was poor with at 1.5 months (SD ±0.4) and there was no significant difference in PFS with immunotherapy based on molecular profile. Conclusion Our study has identified that TP53 confers worse survival and response to platinum chemotherapy compared to BAP1. Overall PDL1 expression and TMB is low in patients with MPM resulting in limited benefit from single agent PD-1/PD-L1 agent.
The Future of Health Services Planning

By 2020 health professionals in both public and private settings were increasingly performing planning-like activities, and community-wide attempts to collect and share health-related data were being initiated. These efforts were in response to decades of health system operation unbridled by any rational health planning. A paradigm shift from “medical care” to “health care” had occurred at the end of the twentieth century to address deficiencies in the system. However, this new paradigm was not effective since it continued to treat health conditions as the problems rather than the symptoms. In view of this, the population health model was introduced as a means of improving community health. This model attempts to address the health conditions of populations rather than individuals and focuses on the mitigation of the social determinants of health. The current transition from traditional community health needs assessments to population health assessments reflects this development. While the changes have not been as dramatic at the organizational level, healthcare organizations are nevertheless attempting to adapt to the changing environment through planning.
Array Processor Architecture

Today's array processors provide a cost-effective tool for increasing the speed at which highly computation-bound processing jobs can be carried out. They are maturing and expanding with greatly improved hardware and software—improvements that are primarily a result of the accumulated experience of the vendors and users of these machines. All in all, it is a very competitive environment.
Disentangling contributions of demographic, family, and socioeconomic factors on associations of immigration status and health in the United States.

Background In the United States, immigration policy is entwined with health policy, and immigrants’ legal statuses determine their access to care. Yet, policy debates rarely take into account the health needs of immigrants and potential health consequences of linking legal status to healthcare. Confounding from social and demographic differences and lack of individual-level data with sensitive immigration variables present challenges in this area of research. Methods This article used the restricted California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to assess differences in self-rated health, obesity, and severe psychological distress. Between US-born citizens, naturalised citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPR), undocumented immigrants, and temporary visa holders living in California. Results Results show that while immigrant groups appear to have poorer health on the surface, these differences were explained predominantly by older age among naturalised citizens and by lower-income and education among LPRs and undocumented immigrants. Favourable family characteristics acted as protective factors for immigrants’ health, especially among disadvantaged immigrants. Conclusion Immigration policy that limits access to healthcare and family support may further widen the health disadvantage among immigrants with less legal protection.
Multiple Instability Events at Initial Presentation Are the Major Predictor of Failure of Nonoperative Treatment for Anterior Shoulder Instability

Purpose To define the success rate of initial nonoperative treatment for traumatic anterior shoulder instability in a defined U.S. geographic population, describe factors that predict conversion to surgery after initial nonoperative management, and describe the long-term outcomes of nonoperative treatment after the index traumatic anterior instability event. Methods The Rochester Epidemiology Project database was used to identify patients aged 14 to 39 years treated for anterior shoulder instability between 1994 and 2016. Patient demographic characteristics, comorbidities, injury characteristics, and imaging were evaluated. Patients treated nonoperatively for the first 6 months after the index instability event were analyzed to determine long-term outcomes (recurrence rate, pain at last follow-up, radiographic outcomes), the success rate of continued nonoperative treatment (no conversion to surgery), and factors associated with conversion to surgery (patient and injury characteristics). Survivorship free of surgery was reported with a Kaplan-Meier survival curve, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate association of variables with conversion to surgery. Results A total of 379 patients met the study criteria, with an average follow-up period of 10.2 years (range, 0.53-25.00 years). The average age was 23.9 years, the mean body mass index was 26.2, and 100% of instability events were due to trauma. Of the shoulders, 79 (20.1%) ultimately failed initial nonoperative treatment and progressed to surgery. At final follow-up, the rate of recurrent instability was 52.3% in the group treated definitively without surgery, and the recurrence rate decreased from 92.4% to 10.1% in patients who underwent conversion to surgical treatment. Factors associated with conversion to surgery included 2 or more subluxations prior to the first evaluation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.82; P = .002), 2 or more dislocations prior to the first evaluation (HR, 1.76; P = .006), and recurrent instability at follow-up (HR, 4.21; P Conclusions Most patients younger than 40 years with shoulder instability who were initially treated nonoperatively for 6 months were definitively treated without surgery. Ultimately, 35% of these patients experienced recurrent dislocations after 6 months of conservative treatment and 20% underwent surgical treatment. In most patients who underwent conversion to surgical treatment, surgery was performed within 12.5 years of their first instability event. Patients who experienced multiple instability events before or after consultation were more likely to undergo conversion to surgery after initial nonoperative management. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective database review.
Massive ovarian edema masquerading as an androgen-secreting tumor

Objective To highlight the management of massive ovarian edema in young reproductive-age women. Design A case report of a healthy female with clitoromegaly and elevated androgen levels secondary to massive ovarian edema. Setting Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Department of an academic hospital. Patient A healthy 20-year-old woman who presented for routine gynecological care and was found to have a 2-cm clitoromegaly and elevated androgen levels. Interventions The patient underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy and right oophorectomy. Main Outcome Measures Measurement of androgen levels. Results Final pathology showed massive edema of the ovary with no evidence of malignancy or androgen-secreting tumor cells. In addition, resolution of the elevated androgen levels was observed. Conclusions Massive ovarian edema due to asymptomatic subacute torsion should be included in the differential diagnosis of reproductive-age patients who present with ovarian mass and hyperandrogenemia within the tumor range. Although not performed in our case, conservative management that involves detorsion, ovarian biopsy, and oophoropexy to prevent a recurrence should be the treatment of choice.
Development of an Online Curriculum for Surgeons on the Use of Pelvic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Rectal Cancer and Results of a Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT Background High-resolution pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a critical tool in the management of patients with rectal cancer. An on-line curriculum was developed for surgical trainees on the interpretation of pelvic MRI in rectal cancer for clinical staging and surgical planning. Methods The online curriculum was developed using the six-step approach to curriculum development for medical education. The curriculum incorporated case-based learning, annotated videos, and narrated presentations on key aspects of pelvic MRI in rectal cancer. A pilot study was conducted to assess curriculum effectiveness among Complex General Surgical Oncology (CGSO) fellows using pre- and post-intervention assessments. Results Of 15 eligible fellows, nine completed the pilot study (60%). The fellows’ median confidence score after completing the online curriculum (40, IQR: 33-46) was significantly higher than their baseline median confidence score (23, IQR: 14-30), P = 0.0039. The total practical assessment score significantly increased from a pre-median score of 9 (IQR: 8-11) to a post-median score of 14 (IQR: 13-14), P = 0.0078. A subgroup analysis revealed a significant change in the knowledge assessment with a median score of 7 compared to a baseline median score of 4, Z = 2.64, P = 0.0078. However, the skills assessment showed no significant change. Conclusions The case-based online curriculum had a positive impact on CGSO fellows’ knowledge and confidence in the utilization of pelvic MRI for patients with rectal cancer. This unique on-line curriculum demonstrates a mechanism to enhance shared educational collaboration across CGSO fellowships and other surgical training programs.
Systems Integration Challenges for a National Space Launch System

System Integration was refined through the complexity and early failures experienced in rocket flight. System Integration encompasses many different viewpoints of the system development. System Integration must ensure consistency in development and operations activities. Human Space Flight tends toward large, complex systems. Understanding the system fs operational and use context is the guiding principle for System Integration: (1) Sizeable costs can be driven into systems by not fully understanding context (2). Adhering to the system context throughout the system fs life cycle is essential to maintaining efficient System Integration. System Integration exists within the System Architecture. Beautiful systems are simple in use and operation -- Block upgrades facilitate manageable steps in functionality evolution. Effective System Integration requires a stable system concept. Communication is essential to system simplicity
Redeemed Honor: The President-Little Belt Affair and the Coming of the War of 1812

In May 1811, thirteen months before the outbreak of the War of 1812, the American frigate President (commanded by Commodore John Rodgers) engaged the British sloop‐of‐war Little Belt (commanded by ...
Probabilistic description of the nonlinear penalties in WDM RZ systems using multicanonical Monte Carlo simulations

In this paper, a method based on multicanonical Monte Carlo (MMC) simulations that allow us to calculate the entire probability distribution function (PDF) for the received current up to very low probability with high computational efficiency was described. The distribution of the timing shift and received current due to data-pattern-dependent nonlinear interactions was calculated using MMC simulations.
The Story of Hewlett-Packard

With the development of the modern corporation, corporate boards have been the locus of corporate authority, and particularly since the 1980s, boards and their performance have been under intense scrutiny. Nevertheless, corporate law has not developed a consistent theory for what boards are supposed to do; instead, it sends mixed messages about the functions and expectations of boards and the appropriate people to sit on them. The HP saga illustrates some of the dilemmas faced by directors confronted by these competing pressures.
Project management and e-learning: adapting to new dimensions

The ubiquity of computer technology and the potential benefits of exploiting technological resources are compelling organizations to Web-enhance existing, and create new training materials and strategies. This work identifies the stakeholders involved in this change and proposes a model of an alignment process designed to make the new means of training effective.
ACUTE INFECTIOUS SINUSITIS IN CYANOTIC CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

The prevalance and sequelae of infectious sinusitis in a hospitalized group of children with and without congenital heart disease (CHD) were studied. Sinusitis was more common (1% versus 0.3%) in the CHD group and occurred predominantly (90%) in the cyanotic patients. It was associated with subacute bacterial endocarditis in 20% (5 of 20) and brain abscess in 15% (3 of 20) of the CHD cases. It is postulated that proliferation and distension of the venous channels and marrow spaces in patients with cyanotic CHD enhances the hematogenous spread of bacteria from the paranasal sinuses.
Cinderella Goes to School The Effects of Child Fostering on School Enrollment in South Africa

Fostering is a common institution throughout developing countries, where up to 25 percent of children are fostered. An analysis of 8,627 Black South African children suggests that foster children are not less likely than others to attend school, and they tend to move from homes that have difficulty enrolling them in school to homes that are more apt to do so. The net impact of fostering on these children is to reduce the risk of not attending school by up to 22 percent. Fostering therefore provides an important means of improving human-capital investment. Evidence that households foster-in children primarily for their domestic labor is limited.
Performance of a High Efficiency High Power UHF Klystron

A 500 kW CW klystron has been designed for the PEP storage ring at SLAC. The tube operates at 353.2 MHz, 62 kV, a microperveance of 0.75, and a gain of approximately 50 dB. Stable operation is required for a VSWR as high as 2:1 at any phase angle. The design efficiency is 70 percent. To obtain this value of efficiency a second harmonic cavity is used in order to produce a very tightly bunched beam in the output gap. At the present time it is planned to install 12 such klystrons in PEP. A tube with a reduced size collector was operated at 4 percent duty at 500 kW. An efficiency of 63 percent was observed. The same tube was operated up to 200 kW CW for PEP accelerator cavity tests. A full-scale CW tube reached 500 kW at 65 kV with an efficiency of 55 percent. In addition to power and phase measurements into a matched load, some data at various load mismatches are presented.