cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral fluvastatin reduces the severity of peritoneal adhesions in rats.

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of fluvastatin on peritoneal adhesion formation. Methods: 48 female Wistar-albino rats weighing 200-220 g were divided into four groups each containing 12 rats. Group I was sham, Group II was the control group, while Group III was given 10 mg/kg/day (28 days) oral fluvastatin. In Group IV, 10 mg/kg fluvastatin was administered intraperitoneally at the time of laparotomy but the rats died from that dose. After laparotomy on day 14, caecal serosal abrasions and punctuate haemorrhagies were performed. On day 28, laparotomies were repeated. Adhesions were graded and tissue samples were taken from incisions and adhesions. Hydroxyproline contents representing adhesions were measured quantitatively. On the 28th day, blood samples were taken to measure the tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) activity. Results: There were significant differences between the groups for adhesion severity (p < 0.0001), hydroxyproline content and t-PA activity of the adhesions (p < 0.0001). Analysis of the grading of adhesions documented significant differences between all groups. When the hydroxyproline content and t-PA activity of the adhesions was analyzed, there were significant differences between groups II, I and III, but the difference between group I and group III was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The data presented in this study demonstrate that the oral administration of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor fluvastatin reduced intra-abdominal adhesion formation.
Whom Do You Want for Volunteers

Not just any person will do for phase II and III vaccine trials. What you need is a volunteer who is competent to understand what she or he is getting into, one who has the freedom to give or deny consent, one who is presently HIV negative, and yet one who is still at some fairly high risk for becoming HIV positive. You need a volunteer who is likely to expose himself or herself to the virus. If no subjects ever engaged in risky behaviors, then the vaccine would never be tested against the real virus, and you would never know whether it works or not. The research would be a pointless and expensive waste.
The Limits of Agency for Children’s Literature Scholars

Public libraries, independent bookstores, and bigbox chain stores all have clearly designated sections of children’s literature, as does the New York Times best-seller list. But among those who study the texts so classified, the term “children’s literature” has proved much more slippery. In fact, since the 1970s, a central preoccupation of children’s literature scholarship has been defining the boundaries of the field. Perry Nodelman’s monograph The Hidden Adult: Defining Children’s Literature is just one (albeit a particularly compelling) example of this phenomenon. Despite its limitations in failing to account for teen-authored texts, co-authored picture books, and co-created children’s theatre, a definition of children’s literature like the one proposed by Nodelman is useful. It presents the idea that children’s literature is the only literary “genre” produced by one population for another, thereby capturing the overarching prominence of adults in
Banding artifact reduction for cardiac CT

One of problems with the current cardiac CT imaging is the banding artifacts, i.e., horizontal shifts in multiplanar reformatted (MPR) or three-dimensional (3-D) images. In this work, we propose a novel gating method that does not rely on electro-cardiogram but uses the similarity of image pixel values of heart images. Moreover, the proposed method optimizes the cardiac phase on a local basis. Evaluations with 10 patient data sets showed the substantial reduction of banding artifacts as well as the improved consistency in anatomical structures.
Characterization of rank-constrained feasibility problems via a finite number of convex programs

In this paper, the rank-constrained matrix feasibility problem is considered, where an unknown positive semidefinite (PSD) matrix is to be found based on a set of linear specifications. First, we consider a scenario for which the number of given linear specifications is at least equal to the dimension of the corresponding space of rank-constrained matrices. Given a nominal symmetric and PSD matrix, we design a convex program with the property that every arbitrary matrix could be recovered by this convex program based on its specifications if: i) the unknown matrix has the same size and rank as the nominal matrix, and ii) the distance between the nominal and unknown matrices is less than a positive constant number. It is also shown that if the number of specifications is nearly doubled, then it is possible to recover all rank-constrained PSD matrices through a finite number of convex programs. The results of this paper are demonstrated on many randomly generated matrices.
Yb14MgBi11: structure, thermoelectric properties and the effect of the structure on low lattice thermal conductivity

Zintl phases Yb14MnSb11 and Yb14MgSb11, which share the same complex structure type, have been demonstrated as the best p-type thermoelectric materials for the high temperature region (800-1200 K). A new iso-structural compound, Yb14MgBi11, was synthesized in order to investigate the structure and thermoelectric properties of the Bi analogs. Yb14MgBi11 crystallizes in the Ca14AlSb11 structure-type with the space group I41/acd [a = 16.974(2) A, c = 22.399(4) A, V = 6454(2) A3, R1/wR2 = 0.0238/0.0475]. The structure follows the previous description of this structure type and the trend observed in previous analogs. Thermoelectric properties of Yb14MgBi11 are measured together with Yb14MnBi11 and both compounds are metallic. Compared to Yb14MgSb11, Yb14MgBi11 has a higher carrier concentration with a similar mobility and effective mass. The lattice thermal conductivity of Yb14MgBi11 is extremely low, which is as low as 0.16-0.36 W(mK)-1. The zT values of Yb14MgBi11 and Yb14MnBi11 reach 0.2 at 875 K.
The politics of Vietnamese authorship

This introduction provides a brief overview of the articles in this volume. It highlights the development of a politics of authorship and authority in Vietnam and different roles of authors in diff...
Platform-Based Organization and Boundary Choices: 'Opening-Up' While Still Coordinating and Orchestrating

Rather than organize as traditional firms, many of today's companies organize as platforms that sit at the nexus of multiple exchange and production relationships. This paper considers a most basic question of organization in platform contexts: the choice of boundaries. Herein, I investigate how classical economic theories of firm boundaries apply to platform-based organization and empirically study how executives made boundary choices in response to changing market and technical challenges in the early mobile computing industry (the predecessor to today's smartphones). Rather than a strict or unavoidable tradeoff between “openness-versus-control,” most successful platform owners chose their boundaries in a way to simultaneously open-up to outside developers while maintaining coordination across the entire system.
What a patient's numbers don't tell.

Quality benchmarks have their place, but sometimes what matters most is not whether a patient is at goal but how far the patient has come.
Airline on-time performance and its effects on consumer choice behavior

Abstract Perhaps, owing to the unavailability of delay data on passengers’ flight routing, a challenge in air travel demand estimation is the examination of consumer response to flight delay within an origin-destination framework. An interesting but unanswered question is: how does air travel delay at various airports along a given itinerary affect consumer choice behavior? Using a methodology that enables us to match airline on-time performance data to passenger itinerary and estimating a discrete choice demand model, this paper finds that increases in flight delay negatively impact the likelihood of choosing a product and that welfare costs of delay to consumers may be substantial. These results are robust across different measures of on-time performance and irrespective of market hauls.
E-Beam mechanics and net connectivity for interlayer short detection

The concept of layout-centric defect inspection targeting specific configurations of design is not new. The majority of design-based Micro Care Areas (MCA) relies on historical findings - translating failing topologies from Failure Analysis (FA), Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM), and other sources into targeted zones tailored for inspection. However, there exists an inherent flaw to this model tied to physical limitations of top-down optical inspection. There exists a subset of physical defects that are invisible to optical inspection tools, in particular interlayer defects that interact with prior level masks. For such applications, defect engineering will turn to Electron-Beam (E-beam) Voltage Contrast Inspection (VCI) - which compares the response of a wafer feature subjected to electron charging, measured in grey level differences, of a candidate defect to a reference. In our previous paper “Net Tracing and Classification Analysis on E-Beam Die-to-Database” [3], we illustrated the merits of factoring feature connectivity as a means of differentiating between real voltage-contrast defects, specifically that of dark voltage-contrast (DVC), and nuisance. Our novel methodology takes into consideration the inspectability of a targeted feature before generating components for design-based inspection. The process has the obvious consequence of decreasing the total area of inspection and subsequent benefit of reducing the inspection time. The concept is intuitive - a wafer feature, typically a Via, with a dark optical response when a bright response is expected is indicative of either blockage in the connected electrical net or otherwise disconnect between features. That said, DVC is but a subset of detectable defects with E-beam. This paper reports a novel approach in capturing defects of the other subset of the population, bright voltage-contrast (BVC) and its implications, through exercising the same principle of inspectability.
Lanthanum-mediated dehydrogenation of 1- and 2-butynes: Spectroscopy and formation of La(C 4 H 4) isomers

La atom reactions with 1-butene, 2-butene, and isobutene are carried out in a laser-vaporization molecular beam source. The three reactions yield the same La-hydrocarbon products from the dehydrogenation and carbon-carbon bond cleavage and coupling of the butenes. The dehydrogenated species La(C4H6) is the major product, which is characterized with mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and quantum chemical computations. The MATI spectrum of La(C4H6) produced from the La+1-butene reaction exhibits two band systems, whereas the MATI spectra produced from the La+2-butene and isobutene reactions display only a single band system. Each of these spectra shows a strong origin band and several vibrational progressions. The two band systems from the spectrum of the 1-butene reaction are assigned to the ionization of two isomers: La[C(CH2)3] (Iso A) and La(CH2CHCHCH2) (Iso B), and the single band system from the spectra of the 2-butene and isobutene reactions is attributed to Iso B and Iso A, respectively. The ground electronic states are 2A1 (C3v) for Iso A and 2A' (Cs) for Iso B. The ionization of the doublet state of each isomer removes a La 6s-based electron and leads to the 1A1 ion of Iso A and the 1A' ion of Iso B. The formation of both isomers consists of La addition to the C=C double bond, La insertion into two C(sp3)-H bonds, and H2 elimination. In addition to these steps, the formation of Iso A from the La+1-butene reaction may involve the isomerization of 1-butene to isobutene prior to the C-H bond activation, whereas the formation of Iso B from the La+trans-2-butene reaction may include the trans- to cis-butene isomerization after the C-H bond activation.
Emergency Department Visits Involving Opioid Overdoses, U.S., 2010–2014

In 2015, opioid-involved overdoses accounted for 33,091 deaths in the U.S., 12,989 of which involved heroin.1 In addition to overdose deaths, many more individuals suffer nonfatal overdoses.2 No recent study has examined trends in opioid overdoses treated in hospital emergency departments (ED) separately for non-heroin opioids and heroin. This study analyzes trends and the associated direct medical costs for such ED visits.
Teaching Genetic Linkage and Multiple Crossovers with Sets of Cards as Chromosomes.

TMathematical models help students identify and understand underlying scientific patterns, while improving and reinforcing quantitative skills. However, they are often omitted from introductory undergraduate science classes. As a result, math-heavy theories, like optimal foraging theory, are often omitted from these classes. While optimal foraging easily fits into the curriculum of any class discussing food webs and energy transfer, this theory is often not explained until the graduate level. In this article, I describe a quantitative-rich lesson paired with a hands-on active learning module (or alternatively, a demonstration). This lesson was used in an introductory-level environmental science course but is suited for a range of biology and environmental science classes or laboratories.
Counseling Psychology Faculty’s Contributions to the Internationalization of Counseling

In this study, we identified counseling psychology faculty members’ international publications, presentations, activities, and education abroad experiences through investigating 183 curricula vitae of faculty members in the United States. The results demonstrated that compared to four decades ago, the emphasis on international issues has increased. However, there is still a considerable number of counseling psychology faculty members who have not incorporated international issues into their professional activities. Path analysis results indicated that international presentations and activities moderately predicted internationally relevant publications. Based on these results, we proposed several ways to facilitate the internationalization of counseling psychology in the future, and discussed how internationalization could bring positive changes to the counseling psychology field.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Pathology Slideshow

The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) relies as much on histological findings as it does on clinical presentation and endoscopic appearance. The features of IBD were reviewed in the previous version of this book, and will not be exhaustively reviewed here. However, the most important histological features to consider include the presence or absence of chronic injury, distribution of disease, nature and extent of inflammation, presence of granulomas, and assessment for the presence of dysplasia. A selection of some examples which highlight these important features are shown in some typical examples of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease in Figs. 16.1–16.8. When making a diagnosis of IBD, it is also important to consider other conditions which may mimic the features of IBD clinically, or even may coexist with IBD. Some of these diseases are reviewed in Figs. 16.9–16.16.
Tests of Verbal Functions

Object-naming tasks have been a popular form of evaluation of neurologically impaired individuals. Some form of object naming is included in many standardized procedures, including the Luria—Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery. The use of nonstandardized procedures is risky, as several variables can influence performance on this test, including the familiarity of the subject with the object, the use of an object itself as opposed to a picture of the object, and whether the object word can also be used as a verb (Barker & Lawson, 1968). To subvert these potential problems, Oldfield and Wingfield (1965) developed a set of pictures that can be used in a standardized fashion. Newcombe, Oldfield, Ratcliffe, and Wingfield (1971) found this task to be sensitive to brain injury. However, the reliability and the specific validities of this procedure still need to be evaluated. Lawson and Barker (1968) administered an object-naming test to 100 individuals with organic dementia and 40 volunteers from an elderly persons’ social club. They scored a failure to respond as well as the latency of response and found that both variables discriminated between the two groups significantly. They also found that demonstration facilitated naming in the impaired subjects but not in the control subjects. This information points to the possible clinical utility of the procedure.
Digital Resources for Performance History: Online Newspaper Archives and Modern Productions of Gorboduc

This note introduces readers to online consolidated newspaper archives and demonstrates their utility for scholars of early modern drama in modern performance. The author provides a list of modern productions of Gorboduc (1562), a play understood to have almost no history in modern performance, which were discovered through searches in these databases.
Citizenship and the Census

On March 26, 2018, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross determined that the federal government would use the 2020 decennial Census to ask every person in the country about their citizenship status. The decision was enormously controversial. The decennial Census appears in the sixth sentence of the Constitution, as the very first responsibility of the new federal government; many believed that the decision to add a question on citizenship, in this climate, could put the enumeration itself in jeopardy. This piece is the first to interrogate the legal and political rationale of that decision, and its consequences for the theoretical basis of American representative democracy and for the tangible distribution of clout and cash. In Part I, it explores the likely impact of the decision, demonstrating that Secretary Ross’s eleventh-hour intervention presents risks for the decennial enumeration that the Census Bureau itself had previously deemed intolerable, and which have only intensified in the current political climate. Part II turns to the proffered basis for this upheaval. It finds the decision essentially unjustified by the public rationale offered, and probes alternative rationales beyond the pretext that might better explain why the decision was made. Several of these alternatives concern the allocation of political power in the decennial apportionment and redistricting cycle to come; the piece closes by examining the decision’s likely roots in a long-simmering and hotly contested fight over the nature of representation, quite likely to reemerge in the years ahead.
Abstract 719: Radiotracer Imaging of Lower Extremity Skeletal Muscle Perfusion is Significantly Correlated With Exercise Tolerance

Introduction: Exercise therapy is a proven treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD) that is now reimbursable by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Traditional methods for detec...
Individual and Social Determinants of Social Support in an Urban Setting.

A random sample of residents of a medium-sized American city were studied using an interview format in order to determine the formal and informal help they were receiving on problems they presently...
Protein Digestibility: In Vitro Methods of Assessment

Publisher Summary This chapter describes those changes in protein structure that lead to change in the digestibility of the protein and discusses several methods for assaying protein digestibility The biological utilization of a protein is primarily dependent on its digestibility by gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal peptidases; its composition, particularly with respect to the essential amino acids; and the absorption or transport of amino acids and di- and tri-peptides into the blood. In vitro methods plays an important role in assaying protein digestibility, because these methods are more rapid, simple, and potentially could be used commercially for monitoring protein quality. Modifications that commonly affect protein digestibility include proteolysis, thermal unfolding, aggregation, carbonyl-amine reactions, racemization, and cross-linking. The digestion of protein in vivo depends on the accessibility and flexibility of the polypeptide chain. The structure of many proteins is destabilized by the acid conditions of the stomach that aids their hydrolysis and further destabilization by pepsin.
Short RNA regulators: the past, the present, the future, and implications for precision medicine and health disparities.

We herein provide a brief review of the trajectory that the field of short RNA research followed in the last 25 years. We place emphasis on the unexpected discoveries and the ramifications of these discoveries for the field, as well as offer some thoughts about what the next 25 years may bring. Arguably, the uncovered dependence of different types of short RNAs on individual attributes such as a person’s sex, population origin, race, and on tissue type, tissue state, and disease was most unexpected. This dependence has important ramifications in that it will provide a boost to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of health disparities as well as pave the way for novel approaches to designing improved and personalized diagnostics and therapeutics.
Optimal Trajectory Planning for Multiple Waypoint Path Planning using Tabu Search

A Tabu search algorithm associated with multiple waypoint real-time path planning and map building such as Traveling Salesman Problem is proposed in this paper. This application plays a major role in actual world scenarios just as the ones encountered by the robots functioning in disaster prone environments like service, rescue, mining robots, etc., where there is a need for the robot to travel to collective goals through the shortest distance possible. This paper examines the use of one such algorithm, Tabu search, for finding the shortest path possible. It basically does neighborhood search with a set of nodes termed as Tabu list, which comprises of nodes that have been previously evaluated, thereby avoiding getting stuck in the local minima. During every new iteration, the recent search candidates are compared with the best solution found so far, so that the best possible node is retained for later use. This strategy enables an autonomous robot to travel to multiple goals using the shortest possible path. As soon as a global route is generated by the Tabu search, a D*-Lite algorithm combined with VFH based local navigation is laid on to plan a collision less trajectory through a contour with simultaneous map building under unknown environments.
Rates of hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism among patients with porcelain gallbladder

Abstract Background Porcelain gallbladder is characterized by calcification of the gallbladder wall, possibly associated chronic inflammation from cholelithiasis. It is unknown whether porcelain gallbladder is associated with higher rates of hypercalcemia and/or hyperparathyroidism compared to cholelithiasis without porcelain gallbladder. Methods We searched our patient database for patients with porcelain gallbladder on imaging and patients with cholelithiasis without porcelain gallbladder. We collected data on patient age, gender, calcium levels, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, and medications/comorbidities known to cause hypercalcemia. Results 1000 patients within our database had porcelain gallbladder on imaging. Of these, 661 (245 male) had at least one serum calcium value for analysis. These patients were matched by age and gender with 6610 patients with cholelithiasis who had at least one serum calcium value. Rates of recurrent/persistent hypercalcemia were higher among patients with porcelain gallbladder at 16.8% versus 11.1% (p Conclusion Patients with porcelain gallbladder show higher rates of hypercalcemia and hyperparathyroidism than patients with cholelithiasis alone.
Disasters in Japan: LIASE-Funded On-site Experiential Learning Courses Exploring the Science, Social Impact, and Culture of Disaster

This article describes two interdisciplinary summer experiential learning courses focused on disasters in Japan, both partially funded through LIASE (Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment). The first course was titled “Seismic Japan” and was centered on earthquakes through Japan’s history culminating in the 2011 disaster. The second, “Meltdowns and Waves,” was a comparative look at the Three-Mile Island meltdown incident, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2011 tsunami. Both courses provided a unique interdisciplinary learning experience for our students, one that explored the science behind earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear accidents as well as the impacts of these disasters on Japanese society and culture.
Strategies for Addressing Forced Oscillations with the Multichannel Least Squares Mode Meter

This paper analyzes multiple strategies for addressing the presence of forced oscillations (FO) in otherwise ambient data analyzed by the family of multichannel least squares vector autoregressive moving average (LS-VARMA) mode meters. When no action is taken, it is shown that a FO can severely bias mode estimates. To overcome this, an increase in the model order of the VARMA model is used to improve spectral resolution and reduce bias. Alternatively, the LS-VARMA+S mode meter is developed that directly includes forced oscillation information into the model and is able to estimate the oscillation shape of a FO. It is shown that the LS-VARMA+S mode meter is equivalent to the LS-VARMAX mode meter under certain conditions. Each of the strategies are considered through an extensive Monte Carlo simulation study using the miniWECC model. It was seen that all of the strategies provided an improvement, however the LS-ARMA+S approach had the best overall performance while being the most complex.
The effect of prophylactic hemoclips on the risk of delayed post-endoscopic mucosal resection bleed for upper and lower gastrointestinal lesions: a retrospective cohort study

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a minimally invasive procedure used for the treatment of lesions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There is increased usage of hemoclips during EMR for the prevention of delayed bleeding. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hemoclips in the prevention of delayed bleeding after EMR of upper and lower GI tract lesions. This is a retrospective cohort study using the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) EMR registry. Lesions in upper and lower GI tracts that underwent EMR between January 2012 and December 2015 were analyzed. Rates of delayed bleeding were compared between the hemoclip and no-hemoclip groups. Analysis was stratified by upper GI and lower GI lesions. Lower GI group was further stratified by right and left colon. We examined the relationship between clip use and several clinically-relevant variables among the patients who exhibited delayed bleeding. Furthermore, we explored possible procedure-level and endoscopist-level characteristics that may be associated with clip usage. A total of 18 out of 657 lesions (2.7%) resulted in delayed bleeding: 7 (1.1%) in hemoclip group and 11 (1.7%) in no-hemoclip group (p = 0.204). There was no evidence that clip use moderated the effects of the lesion size (p = 0.954) or lesion location (p = 0.997) on the likelihood of delayed bleed. In the lower GI subgroup, clip application did not alter the effect of polyp location (right versus left colon) on the likelihood of delayed bleed (p = 0.951). Logistic regression analyses showed that the clip use did not modify the likelihood of delayed bleeding as related to the following variables: use of aspirin/NSAIDs/anti-coagulants/anti-platelets, pathologic diagnoses (including different types of colon polypoid lesions), ablation, piecemeal resection. The total number of clips used was 901 at a minimum additional cost of $173,893. Prophylactic hemoclip application did not reduce delayed post-EMR bleed for upper and lower GI lesions in this retrospective study performed in a large-scale community practice setting. Routine prophylactic hemoclip application during EMR may lead to significantly higher healthcare cost without a clear clinical benefit.
Fluoroquinolone Prophylaxis in Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: Worthy of a Second Look

ABSTRACT Prophylaxis with fluoroquinolone (FQ) for patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remains controversial. We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing ASCT with and without bacterial prophylaxis to compare endpoints of interest. In accordance with institutional policy, patients undergoing ASCT for multiple myeloma routinely receive levofloxacin prophylaxis during their period of neutropenia, whereas patients undergoing the ASCT for lymphoma do not. We retrospectively examined patients with multiple myeloma (MM) or lymphoma undergoing ASCT between July 2015 and July 2018 for evidence of positive blood cultures. A total of 172 patients underwent ASCT for lymphoma and 343 underwent ASCT for MM. The 2 cohorts were similar in terms of baseline characteristics. Almost 20% (35 of 172) of the patients with lymphoma and 5.2% (18 of 342) of those with MM had a bloodstream infection (BSI). BSI occurred an average of 2 days earlier in patients with lymphoma compared with patients with MM (day +5 versus day +7; P = .0003). The 2 cohorts recovered absolute neutrophil count at the same time. Hospital length of stay was 2 days shorter for patients with MM (median, 20 days versus 18 days; P = .01). The majority of the organisms were gram-negative in both cohorts. Of the organisms commonly tested for FQ sensitivity, only 1 of 25 was resistant in the lymphoma cohort, compared with 7 of 9 in the MM cohort (P
Highlights from the 5th Kansas City Heart Rhythm Symposium.

Kansas City Heart Rhythm Symposium (KCHRS), the annual heart rhythm symposium of the Kansas City area returned back in its 5th year to a fantastic reception from the audiences who have been eagerly waiting for this event. Since its inception in 2009, this event has become a great success story and is becoming bigger and better with each passing year. This conference is a great platform that brings together experts in the field of electrophysiology to share their innovative work and experience with other health care providers in the Midwest area. Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, Professor of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center was the course director for this year’s KCHRS. We bring to you the highlights and presentations from the 5th KCHRS held on August 17-18, 2013 at Sheraton Kansas City Hotel, Crown Center Kansas City.
Boron-loaded organic glass scintillators

Abstract Herein we report the progress towards an organic glass scintillator with fast and thermal neutron sensitivity providing “triple” pulse shape discrimination (PSD) through the inclusion of a boron-incorporated aromatic molecule. The commercially available molecule 2-(p-tolyl)-1,3,2-dioxaborinane (TDB) can be readily synthesized in one step using inexpensive materials and incorporated into the organic glass scintillator at 20% by weight or 0.25% 10B by mass. In addition, we demonstrate that TDB can be easily scaled up and formulated into organic glass scintillator samples to produce a thermal neutron capture signal with a light yield equivalent to 120.4 ± 3.7 keVee, which is the highest value reported in the literature to date.
Peer Instruction in Software Engineering - Findings from Fine-grained Clicker Data

This paper discusses the results of partially replicating and modifying a study performed by Zingaro and Porter examining the relationship between fine grained clicker data from in class Peer Instruction and students' performance in quizzes and exams. Whereas Zingaro and Porter worked with a CS1 course, we worked with a sophomore software engineering course. We report overall answer correctness when students vote before and after PI discussion, track student response patterns from in-class to the quizzes and exam, and quantify absolute percentages of students that demonstrate longer-term learning from the PI process. Our results show that students who learn in class from PI perform well on the quizzes and the final exam, nearly as well as those who understood concepts prior to the classes in which those concepts were taught. We also found that those who fail to learn from the PI process in the class perform worse on quizzes and the final exam. We found PI to be an effective way to teach our software engineering course based on student learning before and after PI, a result unique to our study. Our results were consistent across the different topics in software engineering in which we employed PI.
Plant Behavior & Equal Pay: The Effect on Female Employment, Capital Investments, & Productivity — A Difference-in-Discontinuities Design

This paper studies Chile's 2009 Equal Pay for Equal Work law and its impact on manufacturing plant behavior. Using the difference-in-discontinuities design to exploit the law's quasi-experimental properties, I find that large plants with disclosure requirements and substantially higher penalties increase female employment across occupations compared to the control group. However, the female percentage increases only for executives and white-collar workers. This finding is consistent with imperfect competition models in the female labor market that predict that occupations with wider gender pay gaps would see the most improvements in relative female employment under equal pay. Plant average compensation package and new capital investments in new machinery increase, but plant productivity measures show no significant differences from those of the control group.
Learning from Pandemic Mode to Create a Sustainable Digital Future: Using a Tripartite Model of Information Access and Digital Inclusion with a Richland Library Case Study

Public libraries are known as places for information, communication, and gathering, but what happens when a pandemic restricts social contact? In the years 2020 and 2021, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, libraries worldwide revised services and explored new ways to provide information and support to communities—primarily through digital services. This conceptual analytical paper responds to this approach by suggesting the use of a tripartite information access and digital inclusion model that can be used for evaluative processes related to ensuring ongoing physical, intellectual, and social access to public library services during a public crisis shutdown. We provide an overview of some of the new and altered services provided within the case of the Richland Library system in South Carolina, USA, and then discuss these changes using the tripartite model as a means to illustrate how this theoretical model can be employed for practical evaluation and decision-making.
Fluorine-Containing Compounds of Sulfur

Publisher Summary In the years since World War I1, a remarkable growth has occurred in the knowledge of compounds of sulphur, which contain fluorine. The number information about some substances known for many years, particularly, sulphur hexafluoride has expanded greatly. The reason for this growth is to be found largely in the awakened interest in fluorine chemistry initiated by the atomic energy program. A part of the effort devoted to fluorine chemistry in the universities, industrial laboratories, and government laboratories in the United States, England, Germany, and to a lesser degree Russia, hits been spent on compounds of sulfur. The laboratory that has been the most productive of published results is that of Cambridge University. A second factor that is responsible for the discovery of many new compounds is the electrochemical technique of Simons for the synthesis of fluorides by the electrolysis of hydrogen fluoride containing various solutes.
Some Considerations on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays and Their Impact on System Design

User programmable devices are becoming more and more important for system design because of their flexibility that allows much shorter design time and hence better time-to-market. The use of programmable devices spans rapid prototyping and dynamically reconfigurable systems. The market is projected to raise rapidly to levels that make this type of devices very appealing for merchant IC manufacturers. Some of the issues related to the future of these devices as well as to the future of system design methodologies are presented.
Bivalent gp120/mAb complex vaccines to induce broadly reactive antibody response against HIV-1 (VAC7P.987)

HIV-1 envelope gp120 is a key target for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against the virus. Our work focuses on improving immunogenicity of cross-reactive neutralizing epitopes on gp120 antigen. We demonstrated that immunogenicity of gp120 and especially its neutralizing V3 epitopes was enhanced when gp120 was administered with the anti-CD4 binding site monoclonal antibody (mAb) 654 as immune complex (IC) vaccine. The enhanced V3 immunogenicity correlated with greater V3 antigenicity and was mediated mainly by the Fab activity of mAb 654. Here, we further explored the use of gp120/654 to elicit V3 Ab responses with greater breadth. A bivalent IC vaccine made of two gp120 proteins with immunogenically distinct V3 loops, gp120JRFL and gp120LAI-N448Q (a LAI derivative), were compared with the individual ICs. Individually, these ICs elicited V3 Abs with complementary reactivity: gp120JRFL/654 induced V3 Abs reactive with many subtypes B and subtype C viruses but not LAI, whereas gp120LAI-N448/654 induced V3 Abs specific for LAI. Administration of the ICs as a mixture or sequentially did not expand the breadth of Ab response. However, injection of the ICs s.c. at different sites resulted in induction of Abs reactive to LAI and the other subtype B viruses. Neutralization was also detected against Tier I subtype B HIV-1 pseudoviruses. These results demonstrate the potential of multi-valent vaccines and the importance of the delivery methods to broaden Ab responses against HIV-1.
Rat and human mammary tissue can synthesize choline moiety via the methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine

The normal mammal requires large amounts of choline for maintenance and growth of tissue mass. Since milk, the only food for neonates, has many-fold higher free choline concentration than does maternal plasma, it is possible that mammary gland can synthesize choline molecules. The only known mammalian pathway for the synthesis de novo of choline molecules is catalysed by phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PeMT), which synthesizes phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) via sequential methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) using S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) as a methyl donor. We identified PeMT activity in rat mammary tissue, and differences in affinities for substrate, as well as in activities as a function of pH, suggest that at least two distinct enzyme activities are involved [i.e. one catalysing the methylation of PtdEtn to form phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine (PtdMeEtn) and the other catalysing the methylation of PtdMeEtn and phosphatidyl-NN-dimethylethanolamine (PtdMe2Etn) to form PtdMe2Etn and PtdCho, respectively]. The relationships between AdoMet concentrations and PtdCho formation from endogenous PtdEtn in rat mammary homogenate were complex: a sigmoidal component (with a Hill coefficient of 2.2), requiring 55 microM-AdoMet for half saturation (Vmax. = 9 pmol/h per mg of protein), and a high affinity component (Kapparent = 8.7 microM and Vmax. = 3.8 pmol/h per mg of protein) were identified. When exogenous PtdMe2Etn was added as substrate, PtdCho formation exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics for AdoMet, and its affinity for AdoMet was high (Kapparent = 9 microM, Vmax. = 85 pmol/h per mg of protein). In the presence of endogenous substrates, the rates of PeMT-catalysed PtdCho formation within homogenates of rat mammary tissue were similar in tissue from lactating and non-lactating animals. When exogenous PtdMe2Etn was added to homogenates of rat mammary tissue, tissue from lactating rats made twice as much PtdCho as did tissue from non-lactating rats. Isolated mammary epithelial cells also exhibited PeMT activity; the rate of formation of PtdCho was much greater in intact versus broken cells. We also identified PeMT activity in homogenates of mammary tissue from non-lactating humans. The rate of PtdCho formation was of similar magnitude to that seen in rat tissue. This evidence supports the hypothesis that some of the choline found in milk could have been synthesized de novo in the mammary gland.
Hybrid ventral hernia repair: technique and results.

Open and laparoscopic approaches to ventral hernia repair are generally exclusive of each other. However, select patients with difficult hernias may benefit from combined open/laparoscopic hybrid techniques to avoid dissection of large subcutaneous flaps. Seven patients underwent combined laparoscopic and open approaches for ventral hernia repair. Records were reviewed for technical details, demographics, hernia and mesh characteristics, and postoperative outcomes. Two hybrid techniques were used: (1) initial laparoscopic approach converted to open adhesiolysis followed by totally laparoscopic mesh fixation and (2) open repair and adhesiolysis with laparoscopic-assisted mesh fixation. In the first approach, after conversion to open adhesiolysis, mesh with four quadrant sutures was placed intraabdominally. Pneumoperitoneum was re-established, and the mesh was fixed laparoscopically with sutures and tacks in standard fashion. For the second hybrid approach, after hernia reduction and adhesiolysis, mesh was anchored with sutures placed at 3–4 cm intervals with a Reverdin needle and further secured posteriorly with a hernia tacker over 180° circumference. Prior to tying the contralateral transfascial sutures, two 5-mm laparoscopic ports were placed lateral to the mesh under direct vision on the opposite side. Once the facial sutures were tied, pneumoperitoneum was established, and the contralateral side of mesh was tacked laparoscopically. Mean patient age was 65 years and BMI 38. Mean defect size was 10.6 cm × 8.3 cm and mean mesh size was 25 cm × 19 cm. Operative time was 318 min (210–405 min). Hospital stay was 5 days (4–7 days). Morbidity was 57 % including one deep wound infection and a chronic sinus requiring reoperation. There were no hernia recurrences with average follow-up of 15 months (3–63 months). Hybrid laparoscopic and open techniques may be used in obese patients with difficult incisional hernias requiring open adhesiolysis. Further studies need to be done to better delineate hernia characteristics of patients that may benefit from this approach.
SU-F-BRCD-08: Uncertainty Quantification by Generalized Polynomial Chaos for MR-Guided Laser Induced Thermal Therapy

Purpose: Magnetic resonance‐guided laser induced thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a minimally invasive thermal treatment for metastatic brain lesions, offering an alternative to conventional surgery. The purpose of this investigation is to incorporate uncertainty quantification (UQ) into the biothermal parameters used in the Pennes bioheat transfer equation (BHT), in order to account for imprecise values available in the literature. The BHT is a partial differential equation commonly used in thermal therapy models.Methods: MRgLITT was performed on an in vivo canine brain in a previous investigation. The canine MRgLITT was modeled using the BHT. The BHT has four parameters'” microperfusion, conductivity, optical absorption, and optical scattering'”which lack precise measurements in living brain and tumor. The uncertainties in the parameters were expressed as probability distribution functions derived from literature values. A univariate generalized polynomialchaos (gPC) expansion was applied to the stochastic BHT. The gPC approach to UQ provides a novel methodology to calculate spatio‐temporal voxel‐wise means and variances of the predicted temperature distributions. The performance of the gPC predictions were evaluated retrospectively by comparison with MR thermal imaging (MRTI) acquired during the MRgLITT procedure in the canine model. The comparison was evaluated with root mean square difference (RMSD), isotherm contours, spatial profiles, and z‐tests. Results: The peak RMSD was ∼1.5 standard deviations for microperfusion, conductivity, and optical absorption, while optical scattering was ∼2.2 standard deviations. Isotherm contours and spatial profiles of the simulation's predicted mean plus or minus two standard deviations demonstrate the MRTI temperature was enclosed by the model's isotherm confidence interval predictions. An a = 0.01 z‐test demonstrates agreement. Conclusions: The application of gPC for UQ is a potentially powerful means for providing predictive simulations despite poorly known input parameters. gPC provides an output that represents the probable distribution of outcomes for MRgLITT.
Impact of Schistosoma mansoni on Malaria Transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa harbors the majority of the global burden of malaria and schistosomiasis infections. The co-endemicity of these two tropical diseases has prompted investigation into the mechanisms of coinfection, particularly the competing immunological responses associated with each disease. Epidemiological studies have shown that infection with Schistosoma mansoni is associated with a greater malaria incidence among school-age children. Methodology: We developed a co-epidemic model of malaria and S. mansoni transmission dynamics which takes into account key epidemiological interaction between the two diseases in terms of elevated malaria incidence among individuals with S. mansoni high egg output. The model was parameterized for S. mansoni high-risk endemic communities, using epidemiological and clinical data of the interaction between S. mansoni and malaria among children in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the potential impact of the S. mansoni–malaria interaction and mass treatment of schistosomiasis on malaria prevalence in co-endemic communities. Principal Findings: Our results suggest that in the absence of mass drug administration of praziquantel, the interaction between S. mansoni and malaria may reduce the effectiveness of malaria treatment for curtailing malaria transmission, in S. mansoni high-risk endemic communities. However, when malaria treatment is used in combination with praziquantel, mass praziquantel administration may increase the effectiveness of malaria control intervention strategy for reducing malaria prevalence in malaria- S. mansoni co-endemic communities. Conclusions/Significance: Schistosomiasis treatment and control programmes in regions where S. mansoni and malaria are highly prevalent may have indirect benefits on reducing malaria transmission as a result of disease interactions. In particular, mass praziquantel administration may not only have the direct benefit of reducing schistosomiasis infection, it may also reduce malaria transmission and disease burden.
Calculation of immobilized enzyme reaction progress curves from nested ordered-sequential rate expressions

Abstract A method for estimating immobilized enzyme reaction progress curves, using simultaneous non-linear regression analysis of 2–3 substrate concentrations with time, is presented. These facile procedures involve using nested Gauss–Newton curve fitting algorithms on a Microsoft EXCEL spreadsheet. We refer to our technique as "nested" because the analysis consists of two or three mutually parameter-dependent sets of computations associated with bi- or termolecular enzyme-catalyzed reactions, respectively. We have applied the method to immobilized glucose oxidase-catalyzed reactions ([ d -glucose] and [O 2 ] with time) and found that the kinetic parameters from initial velocity data were similar to those determined by the nested curve fitting method discussed herein.