cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MIT-Skywalker: A Novel Gait Neurorehabilitation Robot for Stroke and Cerebral Palsy

The MIT-Skywalker is a novel robotic device developed for the rehabilitation or habilitation of gait and balance after a neurological injury. It represents an embodiment of the concept exhibited by passive walkers for rehabilitation training. Its novelty extends beyond the passive walker quintessence to the unparalleled versatility among lower extremity devices. For example, it affords the potential to implement a novel training approach built upon our working model of movement primitives based on submovements, oscillations, and mechanical impedances. This translates into three distinct training modes: discrete, rhythmic, and balance. The system offers freedom of motion that forces self-directed movement for each of the three modes. This paper will present the technical details of the robotic system as well as a feasibility study done with one adult with stroke and two adults with cerebral palsy. Results of the one-month feasibility study demonstrated that the device is safe and suggested the potential advantages of the three modular training modes that can be added or subtracted to tailor therapy to a particular patient's need. Each participant demonstrated improvement in common clinical and kinematic measurements that must be confirmed in larger randomized control clinical trials.
Using event-triggered naturalistic data to examine the prevalence of teen driver distractions in rear-end crashes

INTRODUCTION: While teen driver distraction is cited as a leading cause of crashes, especially rear-end crashes, little information is available regarding its true prevalence. The majority of distraction studies rely on data derived from police reports, which provide limited information regarding driver distraction. METHOD: This study examined over 400 teen driver rear-end crashes captured by in-vehicle event recorders. A secondary data analysis was conducted, paying specific attention to driver behaviors, eyes-off-road time, and response times to lead-vehicle braking. RESULTS: Among teens in moderate to severe rear-end crashes, over 75% of drivers were observed engaging in a potentially distracting behavior. The most frequently seen driver behaviors were cell phone use, attending to a location outside the vehicle, and attending to passengers. Drivers using a cell phone had a significantly longer response time than drivers not engaged in any behaviors, while those attending to passengers did not. Additionally, in about 50% of the rear-end crashes where the driver was operating/looking at a phone (e.g., texting), the driver showed no driver response (i.e., braking or steering input) before impact, compared to 10% of crashes where the driver was attending to a passenger. CONCLUSIONS: The high frequency of attending to passengers and use of a cell phone leading up to a crash, compounded with the associated risks, underlines the importance of continued investigation in these areas. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Parents and teens must be educated regarding the frequency of and the potential effects of distractions. Additional enforcement may be necessary if Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programs are to be effective. Systems that alert distracted teens could also be especially helpful in reducing rear-end collisions.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved. Language: en
Shell Gland Oxygen Consumption in Hens Producing Eggs of Low or High Specific Gravity

Abstract Oxygen consumption of shell gland lumenal tissue was found to be higher in hens producing eggs of high specific gravity (≥1.080) when compared to tissue from hens producing eggs of low specific gravity (≤1.075). Shell gland lumenal tissue oxygen consumption was also greater when an egg was in the shell gland as compared to hens with an egg in the magnum (9.8 and 8.0 μl O2/hr/mg tissue respectively).
Atmospheric Limitations on Missile Photography

Optical data taken from an aircraft in flight as well as data secured at ground level have enabled the obscuration of high-flying missiles by the atmosphere to be ascertained and the requirements to be met by telescopic finders and cameras to be specified for several typical weather and lighting conditions.
Differential Diagnosis of Dystonia

An approach to the early diagnosis of pediatric neurotransmitter diseases (PNTD), and especially dystonia, is outlined in a report from the University Children’s Hospital, Dusseldorf, Germany; and Institute of Child Health, University College, London, UK.
Bengali Harlem and the lost histories of South Asian America

In this groundbreaking book, Vivek Bald depicts the lives of the earliest Indian immigrants to America at the turn of the twentieth century. With rich ethnographic details, Bald narrates the storie...
Analysis of drinking water quality monitoring results in rural area of Donfang from 2008 to 2011

Objective:To understand the health status of rural drinking water in Dongfang,and provide scientific basis for improving the drinking water quality.Methods: Water samples were collected from 10 monitoring sites in dry season and wet season once respectively each year,then detected in accordance with "Standard ex amination method for drinking water"(GB/T5750-2006) and evaluated according to "Standard for drinking water"(GB/T5749-2006).Results: From 2008 to 2011,a total of 278 water samples were detected,the total qualified rate was 47.12%,while annual qualified rate was 24.24%,45.00%,45.57% and 68.42% in turn.The pass rates were 60.96% and 18.89% for centralized water supply and decentralized water supply respectively,52.78% and 41.04% for dry season and wet season respectively.Conclusion: Over-limited microorganisms is the main factor leading to low qualified rate of rural drinking water,so it is suggested to strengthen the drinking water source management and perfect the management mechanism,ensuring the people's health.
Do electronic fetal heart rate monitors improve delivery outcomes

Since the development of electronic fetal heart rate monitors, there has been considerable debate over observable benefits of their use. Early uncontrolled observational studies and retrospective case studies suggested that fetal distress detected by monitoring could help lower both intrapartum and neonatal death rates, serving a utility among high risk deliveries. However, these studies were conducted at a time when neonatal intensive care units and advancing technologies were also beginning to markedly influence perinatal mortality. Randomized clinical trials of the past 10 years have compared electronic monitoring to routine periodic auscultation and have consistently failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in either the perinatal mortality rate or the outcome of high risk pregnancies. A few of these studies, however, did report a lower incidence of neurological complications within the monitored deliveries. The latest research, though, has failed to substantiate any long-term neurological benefits from electronic monitoring.
Cancer Stem Cell Dynamics and Regulation

Mathematical models provide many insights into both the biology of cancer and the optimization of its treatment. Cancer stem cells represent a novel target of cancer therapeutics. While cancer stem cells can represent a relatively small proportion of the total cells within a tumor, they are responsible for driving the dynamics of tumor growth and invasiveness. Modeling in combination with experimental validation has advanced quantitative understanding of cancer stem cells and their interaction with their microenvironment. We present here the salient features of a set of examples of mathematical models that have contributed to our current understanding of how cancer stem cells are regulated and describe further opportunities for modeling.
Effects of Range, Habitat and Roosting Ecology in Patterns of Group Association in Bats

There is a wide variety of ecological factors that can potentially act as selective pressures driving the evolution of social behavior in bats. For instance, many behavioral ecologists recognize a relationship between social behavior, geographic distribution, and variation in resource abundance and distribution. Moreover, some bat species can use preexisting roosts such as tree cavities and caves, while others are able to modify nests, burrows, or foliage to create their own shelters. Thus, it is not surprising that the diverse social interactions found in bats have also been attributed to lifespan, availability, and distribution of roost sites. Here, I aim to determine if roost lifespan, number of roosts used and/or range size are important determinants of group stability. I conducted a literature review to collect information on group stability, roost lifespan, number or roosts used and range size, and I tested for correlated evolution between these variables. I found that roost lifespan, number of roosts and range size did not predict group stability. However, there was an association between range size and number of roosts used. Species with wider ranges encounter diverse habitats, environmental conditions, and roost types with different lifespans. Thus, it is not surprising that bats modify their social structure to adapt to these specific local conditions. Studying how different ecological characteristics interact to produce differences in group stability, provide the basis for understanding the complex route to sociality.
Overview of mixed signal methodology for digital full-chip design/verification

In conventional chip design digital simulation and analog simulation are carried out separately by digital designers and analog designers. Digital designers run block simulation on RTL code and SDF back-annotation post layout simulation which includes the timing information in digital simulator such as ModelSIM. Analog designers simulate the circuit in transistor level analog simulator. Several interface problems are missed in designs because of kick in a true verification between analog and digital blocks till the silicon comes out of the fab. The new digital full-chip design/verification flow combines both digital and analog simulation in a single environment. It provides a critical bridge which links analog and digital blocks and performs the true full chip design and verification. Using this new flow digital designers and analog designers can work closely together and check the full-chip function and interface between digital blocks and analog blocks. Analog behavioral models can be introduced to replace transistor level block which can save simulation time by hundreds of hours on the initial design cycle for functional design. Fast-spice simulator which also has been integrated into mixed-signal flow can be used in the final full chip simulation in which the transistor level simulation is required.
Optimal Use of PSA

Prostate cancer screening reduces advanced cancer and disease-related death, but is controversial due to the limited specificity of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement and potential downstream harms. There are multiple ways to improve screening paradigms, including better patient selection, new commercially available tests with greater specificity, and a multivariable approach taking into consideration multiple risk factors when making biopsy decisions. This chapter summarizes the major randomized trials of PSA screening and subsequent research on different ways to optimize our screening approach.
Multicylinder Engine Shaking Forces and Moments

The dynamic forces and moments arising from the motion of internal components in IC engines are known as Shaking Forces and Shaking Moments. Thes forces and moments are transmittted directly to the supporting structure, whether it be a concrete block or a ship's frame. They can cause significant damage if not properly evaluated at the design stage. It should be noted that these are inertial reactions only, and are unaffected by cylinder firing pressure. By a driect appeal to fundamental momen- tum principles, this paper presents an elegant and completely general approach to their determination, based on fundamental momentum principles. This is much more simple than the conventional direct approach through the piece-by-piece application of Newton's Second Law
Gold – A novel deconvolution algorithm with optimization for waveform LiDAR processing

Abstract Waveform Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data have advantages over discrete-return LiDAR data in accurately characterizing vegetation structure. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of waveform data processing approaches under different topography and vegetation conditions. The objective of this paper is to highlight a novel deconvolution algorithm, the Gold algorithm, for processing waveform LiDAR data with optimal deconvolution parameters. Further, we present a comparative study of waveform processing methods to provide insight into selecting an approach for a given combination of vegetation and terrain characteristics. We employed two waveform processing methods: (1) direct decomposition, (2) deconvolution and decomposition. In method two, we utilized two deconvolution algorithms – the Richardson-Lucy (RL) algorithm and the Gold algorithm. The comprehensive and quantitative comparisons were conducted in terms of the number of detected echoes, position accuracy, the bias of the end products (such as digital terrain model (DTM) and canopy height model (CHM)) from the corresponding reference data, along with parameter uncertainty for these end products obtained from different methods. This study was conducted at three study sites that include diverse ecological regions, vegetation and elevation gradients. Results demonstrate that two deconvolution algorithms are sensitive to the pre-processing steps of input data. The deconvolution and decomposition method is more capable of detecting hidden echoes with a lower false echo detection rate, especially for the Gold algorithm. Compared to the reference data, all approaches generate satisfactory accuracy assessment results with small mean spatial difference (
Gains, Losses, and the Psychology of Litigation

Every lawsuit is a gamble. This is well understood in the literature on the economics of litigation, which assumes that litigants make choices that are risk-averse or risk-neutral, depending upon size of the stakes in the litigation relative to their wealth. Research on the psychology of judgment and choice, however, has revealed that risk preferences depend upon a decision-maker's reference point rather than their wealth. When choosing among perceived gains, people make risk-averse choices, and when choosing among losses, people make risk-seeking choices. In general, this suggests that defendants will often adopt risk-seeking litigation strategies, while plaintiffs will often adopt risk-averse strategies. This theory has several implications: that settlement offers are consistently well below the expected value of a case; that reforms that increase the risks of litigation, such as fee-shifting, have asymmetric effects on plaintiffs and defendants; and that attorneys can promote or impede settlement by manipulating the perceptions of their clients as to whether they face gains or losses. Data from survey responses to hypothetical scenarios and from actual settlement decisions support this theory.
Anatomic analysis of the equine mental foramen and rostral mandibular canal using computed tomography.

Abstract Objectives To characterize the anatomy of the mental foramen and determine associations with age, weight, sex and breed. Study design Retrospective descriptive study. Animals Forty-one horses, 0.6–25.2 years and weighing 136–820 kg. Methods Computed tomography (CT) studies of equine heads performed over 5 years were evaluated in multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstruction. Measurements obtained were positioning of the foramen along the mandible, foramen height and width, foramen–canal angulation and rostral canal mineralization. Exploratory statistical analyses investigated associations between measurements and age, weight, sex and breed. Results Evaluation of 41 CT studies revealed foramen positioning was one-third of the horizontal distance of the incisor–premolar space from the second premolar and one-third of the vertical distance in the mandible from the dorsal surface of interproximal space at the level of the foramen. Age was negatively correlated to horizontal positioning [r = –0.42; 95% confidence intervals (CI), –0.64 to –0.13]. Mean foramen width was 6.4 (range, 2.3–17.1) mm and height 5.6 (range, 2.1–10.3) mm. Age and foramen height (r = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.57) and width (r = 0.30; 95% CI, –0.01 to 0.30) were positively correlated. Thoroughbred and Warmblood/Draft horses had increased foramina heights compared with Quarter horses [analysis of variance ( anova) p = 0.02]. Males had wider foramina (95% CI, –2.66 to 0.07). Angulation of the foramen–canal was mean ± standard deviation 68.3 ± 12.8° (range, 37.9–105.6°) transverse plane, 28.3 ± 4.1° (range, 18.2–39.0°) saggital plane and 41.4 ± 8.45° (range, 22.2–58.6°) dorsal plane. Older horses had decreased mineralization of the rostral canal ( anova, left p = 0.015, right p = 0.025). Conclusions The size, shape, positioning and angulation of the mental foramen varies. Mineralization of the canal is decreased in older horses. Clinical relevance This study improves understanding of mental foramen anatomy and complications with needle placement.
Self-Perception in Family Systems: A Diagrammatic Technique:

The assessment technique described here meets the need for a tool to elicit from family members their own perceptions of their family's internal functioning and organization around a presenting pro...
Are Existing Knowledge Transfer Techniques Effective For Deep Learning on Edge Devices

With the emergence of edge computing paradigm, many applications such as image recognition and augmented reality require to perform machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) tasks on edge devices. Most AI and ML models are large and computational-heavy, whereas edge devices are usually equipped with limited computational and storage resources. Such models can be compressed and reduced for deployment on edge devices, but they may loose their capability and not perform well. Recent works used knowledge transfer techniques to transfer information from a large network (termed teacher) to a small one (termed student) in order to improve the performance of the latter. This approach seems to be promising for learning on edge devices, but a thorough investigation on its effectiveness is lacking. This paper provides an extensive study on the performance (in both accuracy and convergence speed) of knowledge transfer, considering different student architectures and different techniques for transferring knowledge from teacher to student. The results show that the performance of KT does vary by architectures and transfer techniques. A good performance improvement is obtained by transferring knowledge from both the intermediate layers and last layer of the teacher to a shallower student. But other architectures and transfer techniques do not fare so well and some of them even lead to negative performance impact.
Epigenetics and the Aging Process

Although there has been considerable interest in the aging process for quite some time and in epigenetics for over two decades, it is relatively recent that we have witnessed a surge in interest in aging epigenetics. Epigenetic processes are vast and influence many genes and other processes related to aging that impact the physiological decline that characterizes the aging process. This ranges from changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications that control genes such as the telomerase regulatory gene, hTERT, to modes of modulating environmental factors that affect epigenetic processes and aging. The potential for advances in aging epigenetics seems limitless and the purpose of this book is to convey the cutting-edge research that is rapidly driving the field of aging epigenetics to the forefront of medical science.
Movement artefact removal from NIRS signal using multi-channel IMU data.

The non-invasive nature of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) makes it a widely accepted method for blood oxygenation measurement in various parts of the human body. One of the main challenges in this method lies in the successful removal of movement artefacts in the detected signal. In this respect, multi-channel inertia measurement unit (IMU) containing accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer can be used for better modelling of movement artefact than using accelerometer only, which as a result, movement artefact can be more accurately removed. A wearable two-channel continuous wave NIRS system, incorporating an IMU sensor which contain accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer in it, was developed to record NIRS signal along with the simultaneous recording of movement artefacts related signal using the IMU. Four healthy subjects volunteered in the recording of the NIRS signals. During the recording from the first two subject, movement artefacts were simulated in one of the NIRS channels by tapping the photodiode sensor nearby. The corresponding IMU data for the simulated movement artefacts were used to estimate the artefacts in the corrupted signal by autoregressive with exogenous input method and subtracted from the corrupted signal to remove the artefacts in the NIRS signal. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement was used to evaluate the performance of the movement artefacts removal process. The performance of the movement artefacts estimation and removal were compared using accelerometer only, accelerometer and gyroscope, and accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer data from IMU sensor to estimate the artefact in NIRS reading. For the remaining two subjects the NIRS signal was recorded by natural movement artefacts impact and the results of artefacts removal was compared using accelerometer only, accelerometer and gyroscope, and accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer data from IMU sensor to estimate the artefact in NIRS reading. The quantitative and qualitative results revealed that the SNR improvement increases with the number of IMU channels used in the artefacts estimation, and there were approximately 5–11 dB increase in SNR when nine channel IMU data were used rather than using only three channel accelerometer data only. The artefact removal from natural movements also demonstrated that the combination of gyroscope and magnetometer sensors with accelerometer provided better estimation and removal of the movement artefacts, which was revealed by the minimal change of the HbO2 and Hb level before, during and after movement artefacts occurred in the NIRS signal. The movement artefacts in NIRS can be more accurately estimated and removed by using accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetograph signals from an integrated IMU sensor than using accelerometer signal only.
A Priori Estimates of the Population Risk for Residual Networks

Optimal a priori estimates are derived for the population risk, also known as the generalization error, of a regularized residual network model. An important part of the regularized model is the usage of a new path norm, called the weighted path norm, as the regularization term. The weighted path norm treats the skip connections and the nonlinearities differently so that paths with more nonlinearities are regularized by larger weights. The error estimates are a priori in the sense that the estimates depend only on the target function, not on the parameters obtained in the training process. The estimates are optimal, in a high dimensional setting, in the sense that both the bound for the approximation and estimation errors are comparable to the Monte Carlo error rates. A crucial step in the proof is to establish an optimal bound for the Rademacher complexity of the residual networks. Comparisons are made with existing norm-based generalization error bounds.
Ultrafast Time-Domain Spectrometer in the 25 T Split Florida-Helix Magnet

We custom-designed an optical pump-terahertz probe spectrometer to operate under the high external magnetic fields of the 25 T Split Florida-Helix and demonstrated the instrument use by studying a gallium arsenide multiple quantum well sample. © 2019 The Author(s)
Gore Vidal’s Washington, D.C.: Maintaining Legitimacy

In this chapter I show how Vidal’s sense of his own aristocratic lineage and his contempt for the lower classes influenced his portrayal of the political elite in Washington, D.C. I focus on how the major characters of the novel work hard to keep much of their actual behavior hidden from the public in order to ostensibly exemplify a way of life that the rest of the country might aspire to and what it takes for a member of the lower classes to break into and be accepted by the ruling elite. Vidal’s politicians treat the use of government as a personal competition for power and prestige rather than as a means to meet the needs and desires of their constituents. The lure of power and prestige is so great that all of the young radicals in the novel eventually sell out and join the “establishment,” leaving the poor and working class without representation.
Estimating the geographic distribution of originating air travel demand using a bi-level optimization model

Abstract The historical air travel demand plays an important role in the analysis of, for example, major changes in airport use, airport and airline marketing, and airport planning. We provide a bi-level optimization model as a relatively quick and less expensive alternative to survey method to estimate the originating air travel demand and its geographic distribution at an airport. The lower-level model estimates the geographic distribution of originating air travel demand and model coefficients. The upper-level model estimates the airport access distance threshold which is used to model traveler’s airport choice behaviors in the lower-level model. We adopt an Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) to solve the bi-level optimization model. A General Reduced Gradient solution algorithm is used within the EA to solve the lower-level model. We present a real-world case study in which we apply the model to estimate the originating air travel demand and its geographic distribution on the contiguous United States. The model estimates are generally close to the statistics from the American Travel Survey. The comparisons of the model estimates with the statistics from the Washington-Baltimore regional air passenger survey show mixed results. Possible reasons for the estimation errors are identified.
Some On-Road Glances are More Equal Than Others: Measuring Engagement in the Driving Task:

The current work examines a methodology developed for assessing driver attention management using high-precision eye glances towards safety-relevant driving information. The Task Analysis Eye Movem...
Transition Metal Spin-State Energetics by MC-PDFT with High Local Exchange

The energetics of the spin states of transition metal complexes have been explored with a variety of electronic structure methods, but the calculations require a compromise between accuracy and affordability. In this work, the spin splittings of several iron complexes are studied with multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory (MC-PDFT). The results are compared to previously published results obtained by complete active space second-order perturbation theory (CASPT2) and CASPT2 with coupled-cluster semicore correlation (CASPT2/CC). In contrast to CASPT2's systematic overstabilization of high-spin states with respect to the CASPT2/CC reference, MC-PDFT with the tPBE on-top functional understabilizes high-spin states. This systematic understabilization is largely corrected by revising the exchange and correlation contributions to the on-top functional using the high local-exchange approximation (tPBE-HLE). Moreover, tPBE-HLE correctly predicts the spin of the ground state in most cases, while CASPT2 incorrectly predicts high-spin ground states in all cases. This is encouraging for practical work because tPBE and tPBE-HLE are faster than CASPT2 by a factor of 50 even in a moderately sized example.
Wall heat transfer in the inverted annular film boiling regime

Abstract Inverted annular film boiling (IAFB) is one of the post critical heat flux (post-CHF) regimes, which may occur during the core reflooding phase following large-break loss of coolant accidents in water-cooled nuclear reactors. This paper first analyzes wall heat transfer characteristics and summarizes convective wall heat transfer coefficient correlations developed for the IAFB regime in the literature. Parametric effects of the inlet subcooling, mass flux, and pressure on the wall Nusselt number in the IAFB regime are studied. It is found based on the experimental data in the literature that the system pressure has negligible effect on the wall Nusselt number while the effects of the mass flux and inlet subcooling are complex and depend on the flow conditions. The modified Bromley model and laminar flow model with an enhancement factor for the IAFB regime, currently used in COBRA-TF and TRACE, respectively, are compared with Stewart’s experimental data under subcooled and low-quality conditions in the IAFB regime. Both of these two models under-predict the heat transfer coefficients calculated from Stewart’s experimental data for high flow and high subcooling conditions. Based on the analysis of the parametric effects, two new wall heat transfer correlations are proposed by correlating the Nusselt number and non-dimensional vapor film thickness using Stewart’s experimental data and benchmarked against the experimental data in the literature. These two new correlations cover ranges of the system pressure from 2.0 to 9.0 MPa, mass flux from 215 to 923 kg/m2-s, and inlet subcooling up to 50 °C.
Strategies to Combat Burnout During Intense Studying: Utilization of Medical Student Feedback to Alleviate Burnout in Preparation for a High Stakes Examination

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to understand medical students’ levels of burnout symptoms and their strategies to combat burnout during the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) Step 1 study period. Methods We administered a survey to three cohorts of medical students after they had taken the Step 1 examination. We gauged their perceptions on what worked well while studying including any insight into strategies to alleviate burnout. We used a qualitative approach to describe their experiences. Results Out of the 477 students surveyed, 370 responded (RR = 77.6%), and we developed 12 key strategies to alleviate burnout during an intense study period: exercise, take days off, limit study hours per day, take breaks, develop support system, dedicate time for fun, eat well, minimize distractors, sleep well, study with others, identify suitable study space(s), and recognize feelings of burnout are normal. We provide further insight into each of these strategies. Discussion By using these strategies, medical students can minimize levels of burnout and maintain wellness throughout the study period. We believe these strategies could be used not only for medical students, but also in the context of any intensive examination preparation period or for a major research paper such as a dissertation. Research has shown that burnout is real and we as researchers and educators must continue to develop strategies to combat it.
Clinical Validation and Performance Evaluation of the Automated Vitros Total Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Assay for Screening of Serostatus in COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of serostatus against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as an important tool in identification of exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report on the validation of the Vitros Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total (CoV2T) assay for qualitative serologic testing of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. METHODS: We performed validation studies according to Commission of Office Laboratories Accreditation guidelines, using samples previously tested for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We evaluated precision, analytical interferences, and cross-reactivity with other viral infections; evaluated concordance with molecular and other serologic testing; and evaluated seroconversion. RESULTS: The Vitros CoV2T assay exhibited acceptable precision and did not exhibit cross-reactivity with other acute respiratory virus infections. The CoV2T assay exhibited 100% negative predictive agreement (56/56) and 71% positive predictive agreement (56/79) with RT-PCR across all patient samples and was concordant with other serologic assays. Concordance with RT-PCR was 97% more than 7 days after symptom onset. The CoV2T assay was robust to icterus and lipemia but had interference from significant hemolysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Vitros CoV2T assay was successfully validated in our laboratory. We anticipate it will be a useful tool in screening for exposure to SARS-CoV-2; however, the use of the CoV2T and other serologic assays in the clinical management of patients with COVID-19 is unknown and must be evaluated in future studies.
Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig von 1821–1894

Hermann Ludwig von Helmholtz was born on August 31, 1821, in Potsdam near Berlin, Germany, into a well-educated family. His father, an educator, taught him the classical languages and introduced him to philosophy. Helmholtz studied medicine in Berlin under physiologist Johannes Muller, at the same time attending lectures in physics and mathematics. Muller was an adherent of the then broadly accepted philosophical nativism.
Effect of configuration-dependent multi-body forces on interconversion kinetics of a chiral tetramer model.

We describe a reformulation of the four-site molecular model for chiral phenomena introduced by Latinwo et al. ["Molecular model for chirality phenomena," J. Chem. Phys. 145, 154503 (2016)]. The reformulation includes an additional eight-body force that arises from an explicit configuration-dependent term in the potential energy function, resulting in a coarse-grained energy-conserving force field for molecular dynamics simulations of chirality phenomena. In this model, the coarse-grained interaction energy between two tetramers depends on their respective chiralities and is controlled by a parameter λ, where λ 0 gives energetic preference to configurations involving tetramers of the same chirality. We compute the autocorrelation function for a quantitative chirality metric and demonstrate that the multi-body force modifies the interconversion kinetics such that λ ≠ 0 increases the effective barrier for enantiomer inversion. Our simulations reveal that for λ > 0 and temperatures below a sharply defined threshold value, this effect is dramatic, giving rise to spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking and locking molecules into their chiral identity.
An Analog-Assisted Digital LDO With Single Subthreshold Output pMOS Achieving 1.44-fs FOM

This letter describes an analog-assisted digital LDO that cascades a conventional digital LDO structure with a single, large output pMOS biased in subthreshold to enable fast response to output voltage droop. By digitally controlling the gate voltage of the output pMOS, the operating regime of the output transistor is decoupled from the input voltage. In addition, a 2-pF capacitor between the output voltage and the gate of the output pMOS creates a high-pass path to boost the output current when voltage droops occur. The proposed design is fabricated in 28-nm CMOS, and it enables a uniform transient response over an input voltage range of 0.5-0.9 V. The measured voltage droop when load current changes from 10 to 60 mA (1-ns edge time) is 110 mV at input voltages of both 0.5 and 0.9 V, resulting in a speed FOM of 1.44 fs.
A novel echo-parameter supersedes the Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score in predicting 1-year mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement

ObjectivesWe proposed several new echo-parameters (augmented blood pressure) derived from blood pressure and aortic valve gradient measurements and hypothesized that they can accurately predict 1-year mortality post-TAVR. BackgroundIn the era of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), predicting post-procedural outcome of patients is one of the most important goals in structural heart research. MethodsPatients in the Mayo Clinic National Cardiovascular Diseases Registry (NCDR)-TAVR database who underwent TAVR between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2017 were identified to retrieve baseline demographics, STS risk score, ECG, cardiac computed tomography, echocardiographic and mortality data. Augmented blood pressure parameters and valvulo-arterial impedance were evaluated by Cox regression. After logistic model generation, receiver operating curve analysis was used to assess the model performance against STS risk score. ResultsThe final cohort contained 883 patients with the mean age of 81.3{+/-}8.5 years old and 58.2% were male. The mean STS risk score was 8.1{+/-}5.1. The median follow-up duration was 353 days and one-year all-cause mortality rates was 13.3%. Multivariate Cox regression showed that augmented SBP and augmented MAP parameters were independent predictors of 1-year mortality (all p<0.0001). A single-parameter model based on augmented MAP1 supersedes STS risk score in predicting 1-year mortality (AUC 0.697 vs. 0.591, p=0.0055). ConclusionAugmented mean arterial pressure provides a simple but effective approach for clinicians to quickly estimate the clinical outcome of TAVR patients and should be incorporated in the assessment of TAVR candidacy. Condensed AbstractWe proposed and validated a new echo-parameter, augmented mean arterial pressure, in a cohort contains 883 patients who underwent TAVR between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2017. Multivariate Cox regression showed that augmented MAP parameters was independent predictors of 1-year mortality (all p<0.0001). A single-parameter model based on augmented MAP supersedes STS risk score in predicting 1-year mortality (AUC 0.697 vs. 0.591, p=0.0055). Augmented MAP provides a simple but effective approach for clinicians to quickly estimate the clinical outcome of TAVR patients and should be incorporated in the assessment of TAVR candidacy.
Finding Our Framework

The role short-term study abroad has played in higher education and traditional approaches taken to develop and implement study abroad excursions is examined in this chapter. We offer explanations for the missteps related to developing and implementing short-term study abroad trips, which have ranged from imperialism and greed to ill-conceived planning and poorly regulated Christian impulses. Social theories are examined to offer an alternative and perhaps more transcendent explanation for the ineffectual attempts to help. Case scenarios, assignments, and exercises are utilized throughout to foster learning.
Post-transcriptional inactivation of matrix metalloproteinase-12 after focal cerebral ischemia attenuates brain damage

This study highlights the possible pathological role of MMP-12 in the context of ischemic stroke. Male rats were subjected to a two-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) procedure. MMP-12 shRNA expressing plasmid formulation was administered to these rats twenty-four hours after reperfusion. The results showed a predominant upregulation of MMP-12 (approximately 47, 58, 143, and 265 folds on days 1, 3, 5, 7 post-ischemia, respectively) in MCAO subjected rats. MMP-12 expression was localized to neurons, oligodendrocytes and microglia, but not astrocytes. Transcriptional inactivation of MMP-12 significantly reduced the infarct size. The percent infarct size was reduced from 62.87±4.13 to 34.67±5.39 after MMP-12 knockdown compared to untreated MCAO subjected rats. Expression of myelin basic protein was increased, and activity of MMP-9 was reduced in ischemic rat brains after MMP-12 knockdown. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the extent of apoptosis was noticed after MMP-12 knockdown. TNFα expression in the ipsilateral regions of MCAO-subjected rats was reduced after MMP-12 knockdown in addition to the reduced protein expression of apoptotic molecules that are downstream to TNFα signaling. Specific knockdown of MMP-12 after focal cerebral ischemia offers neuroprotection that could be mediated via reduced MMP-9 activation and myelin degradation as well as inhibition of apoptosis.
The Cellular and Molecular Biology of RNA Tumor Viruses, Especially Avian Leukosis-Sarcoma Viruses, and Their Relatives

Publisher Summary The RNA tumor viruses provide a unique group of agents that can aid in approaching the major problems in basic cancer research. In the past few years, there has been an enormous surge in interesting RNA tumor viruses. This surge reflects their acceptance as the legitimate objects of study by serious molecular biologists and the vagaries of Federal funding of biomedical research in the United States. This chapter discusses all of the viruses whose virions contain RNA and a DNA polymerase. It discusses the nature of the virions of avian leukosis-sarcoma viruses and classifies other RNA DNA viruses, contrasting their virions with those of the avian leukosis-sarcoma viruses. It also covers the composition, proteins, nucleic acids, and the structure of the virion. The RNA DNA viruses are classified using only some of the virion properties; they are classified as Avian Leukosis-Sarcoma Viruses, Mammalian C-Type Rnadnaviruses, Viper C-Type Rnadnaviruses, Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus, Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus , Visna Viruses, Syncytium-Forming Viruses, Reticuloendotheliosis Viruses, and Particles Related to Rnadnaviruses. The chapter explains the process of replication of virus in detail and discusses the development and mechanisms involved in the process. It details all the aspects of virus–cell interactions, genetic variation, organization of genome, genes in uninfected cells related to RNA tumor viruses, and neoplastic transformation in the absence of overt infection with transforming RNA tumor viruses.
Doing Together: Co-Designing the Socio-Materiality of Services in Public Sector

This article examines a systemic innovation model into which the relational approach of actor-network theory ANT has been incorporated. The article examines what the relational approach can contribute to the conceptualization of services and to the co-development and co-design activities of them. The article operates in the context of public welfare and health services, but its analysis might be applied in any other sector and with any other object of development as well. The article presents the systemic innovation model developed in a national Innovillage project in 2009-2013 in Finland. Further, the article studies how the model has been translated into practice in the design activities of a strategic development program of social and health sector run by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland. In the discussion analytical and practical challenges of the model are specified and its further development is discussed.
Diet balancing in the cockroach Rhyparobia madera: does serotonin regulate this behavior?

Animals, including insects, have the ability to self-select an optimal diet from a choice of two or more incomplete diets that lack an essential nutrient. This paper demonstrates that nymphs of the cockroach Rhyparobia madera also have this ability. The nymphs chose a protein:carbohydrate (P:C) ratio of approximately 25:75 when faced with a choice between one cube of protein (casein) and another of carbohydrate (sucrose). This self-selected ratio was shown to promote growth as well or better than other diets tested. When given a wide range of P:C choices, the R. madera nymphs consistently selected a P:C ratio of approximately 25:75, suggesting that they have the ability to diet-balance. Finally, injections of various serotonergic drugs into self-selecting nymphs influenced their choice of diets. Serotonin promoted a decrease in carbohydrate feeding, while injection of the antagonist α-methyltryptophan caused the nymphs to overfeed on carbohydrate. The results suggest that serotonin may help alter the carbohydrate feeding response in cockroaches.
Resonant scattering of edge waves by longshore periodic topography

The resonant scattering of topographically trapped, low-mode progressive edge waves by longshore periodic topography is investigated using a multiple-scale expansion of the linear shallow water equations. Coupled evolution equations for the slowly varying amplitudes of incident and scattered edge waves are derived for small-amplitude, periodic depth perturbations superposed on a plane beach. In ‘single-wave scattering’, an incident edge wave is resonantly scattered into a single additional progressive edge wave having the same or different mode number (i.e. longshore wavenumber), and propagating in the same or opposite direction (forward and backward scattering, respectively), as the incident edge wave. Backscattering into the same mode number as the incident edge wave, the analogue of Bragg scattering of surface waves, is a special case. In ‘multi-wave scattering’, simultaneous forward and backward resonant scattering results in several (rather than only one) new progressive edge waves. Analytic solutions are obtained for single-wave scattering and for a special case of multi-wave scattering involving mode-0 and mode-1 edge waves, over perturbed depth regions of both finite and semi-infinite longshore extent. In single-wave backscattering with small (subcritical) detuning (i.e. departure from exact resonance), the incident and backscattered wave amplitudes both decay exponentially with propagation distance over the periodic bathymetry, whereas with large (supercritical) detuning the amplitudes oscillate with distance. In single-wave forward scattering, the wave amplitudes are oscillatory regardless of the magnitude of the detuning. Multi-wave solutions combine aspects of single-wave backward and forward scattering. In both single- and multi-wave scattering, the exponential decay rates and oscillatory wavenumbers of the edge wave amplitudes depend on the detuning. The results suggest that naturally occurring rhythmic features such as beach cusps and crescentic bars are sometimes of large enough amplitude to scatter a significant amount of incident low-mode edge wave energy in a relatively short distance ( O (10) topographic wavelengths).
Iconics: Icon Evolution in Digitality

Image manipulation, archiving, and sharing are all critical technological aspects of Western culture and postmodern civilization. Consequently, creation, identification, dissemination, and proliferation of powerful images across media channels today indicate a burgeoning area of information technology. While words alone are capable of conveying adequate information across media channels, the news industry crafts around the dual enterprise of both word and image. Audio-visual supports of these communication devices constituting new media are standard means of rhetorical expressions in acquiring and sharing information in daily life. Overwhelming sensory experiences associated with broadcast media ensure that neither 1) time to study individual factors that render media as iconic, nor 2) interest in interpretation of such dynamics prior to public release. That leads to deeper issues of access, privilege, and motive, yet only through serious scholarly inquiry can we gain understanding of rhetorical roots and expressions of the diverse entities producing media that eventually becomes iconic.
After Core Collapse. What

As our understanding of core collapse in globular clusters has improved through detailed computer simulations, attention has naturally turned to dynamical evolution of globular clusters after core collapse. The results of recent simulations of post-collapse cluster evolution are reviewed. An assessment is given of progress towards the goal of developing astrophysically realistic models that cover all phases of globular cluster evolution. A focus of this review is the stability of the post-collapse expansion phase to the large amplitude core oscillations first observed in the simulations of Sugimoto and Bettwieser and now confirmed by several other studies. The implications of core oscillations for the observation of post-collapse clusters are discussed.