University of Texas at Austin

Many tools empower analysts and data scientists to consume analysis results in a visual interface. When the underlying data changes, these results need to be updated, but this update can take a long time—all while the user continues to explore the results. Tools can either (i) hide away results that haven’t been updated, hindering exploration; (ii) make the updated results immediately available to the user (on the same screen as old results), leading to confusion and incorrect insights; or (iii) present old—and therefore stale—results to the user during the update. To help users reason about these options and others, and make appropriate trade-offs, we introduce Transactional Panorama, a formal framework that adopts transaction s to jointly model the system refreshing the analysis results and the user interacting with them. We introduce three key properties that are important for user perception in this context: visibility (allowing users to continuously explore results), consistency (ensuring that results presented are from the same version of the data), and monotonicity (making sure that results don’t “go back in time”). Within transactional panorama, we characterize all feasible property combinations, design new mechanisms (that we call lenses) for presenting analysis results to the user while preserving a given property combination, formally prove their relative orderings for various performance criteria, and discuss their use cases. We propose novel algorithms to preserve each property combination and efficiently present fresh analysis results. We implement our framework into a popular, open-source BI tool, illustrate the relative performance implications of different lens es, and demonstrate the benefits of the novel lens es and our optimizations.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects. Despite the global disease burden, there is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved HCMV vaccine. The most efficacious HCMV vaccine candidates to date have used glycoprotein B (gB), a class III viral fusion protein, in its postfusion form. While some viral fusion proteins have been shown to elicit stronger neutralizing responses in their prefusion conformation, HCMV prefusion-like and postfusion gB were recently shown to elicit antibodies with similar fibroblast neutralization titers in mice. We aimed to define and compare the specificity and functionality of plasma IgG elicited by distinct prefusion-like and postfusion gB constructs. Prefusion-like and postfusion gB elicited comparable IgG responses that predominantly mapped to the AD-5 antigenic domain known to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Interestingly, postfusion gB elicited significantly higher plasma IgG binding to cell-associated gB and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis than that of prefusion-like gB. The vaccines elicited comparable neutralization titers of heterologous HCMV strain AD169r in fibroblasts; however, neither elicited neutralizing titers against the vaccine-matched strain Towne in fibroblasts. Our data indicate that gB in this prefusion-like conformation elicits similar specificity and functional humoral immunity to that of postfusion gB, unlike certain class I viral fusion proteins that have been used as vaccine antigens. These findings deepen our understanding of the immune response elicited by class III fusion proteins and may inform further design and testing of conformationally dependent herpesvirus glycoprotein vaccine candidates. IMPORTANCE Vaccines against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) still remain elusive in spite of the high disease burden of the virus, especially in pre-term infants and immunocompromised individuals. While vaccine efforts have focused on vaccine-induced antibodies to neutralize the virus, studies have increasingly shown the importance of other antibody functions in protection against cytomegalovirus (CMV) transmission. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated immune responses elicited by the prefusion state of an important HCMV protein called glycoprotein B (gB) in mice. Our results indicate that prefusion gB elicits immune responses similar to that of postfusion gB in mice and reveals areas for further redesign and testing for prefusion vaccine antigens against CMV and other herpesviruses, which could help in furthering vaccine development against HCMV.

Jezero crater contains a sedimentary fan deposit previously interpreted as a delta, which can be studied to better understand the aqueous history of Mars. After a year of traversing and sampling the crater floor, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover encountered the Enchanted Lake area at the base of the sedimentary fan. Data were collected at Enchanted Lake between sols ∼420–426 and again between sols 556–629 when the rover returned for sampling. The goal of this paper is to describe and characterize the facies within this outcrop to help constrain the paleoenvironment of Enchanted Lake in the context of the overall fan system. Facies are defined based on observed sedimentary structures, bedding geometries, and grain size. The lack of extensive cross‐stratification combined with an abundance of soft sediment deformation, planar bedding, and normal grading leads us to interpret Enchanted Lake as a turbidite succession formed in a generally unconfined prodelta environment. Such depositional environments have high preservation potential for organic matter and potential biosignatures. Samples from these rocks have been collected by Perseverance for a planned Mars Sample Return mission. Our interpretation of Enchanted Lake is also consistent with other sedimentary deposits in the Jezero crater, such as the Kodiak butte, which is interpreted as deltaic in origin. Placing Enchanted Lake in context with Kodiak provides some constraints on the relative timing of these deposits within the Jezero fan system.

Despite relatively constant surface temperatures, seasonally-varying rainfall in the Lake Victoria Basin is approximately bimodal with maxima during the equinoctial seasons. Rainfall amounts are lower during boreal winter, and boreal summer is dry. Explanations of this seasonality involving movement of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) are incorrect since the ITCZ, characterized by low-level meridional moisture convergence, is not identifiable over the Lake Victoria Basin. The ERA5 reanalysis is evaluated and used to understand the seasonality of Lake Victoria Basin precipitation, including the influence of land/lake mesoscale circulations and local topography. A consideration of diurnal time scales is included since averaging over the region’s pronounced diurnal cycles obscures physical processes. The unique features of the Lake Victoria Basin precipitation and the large-scale connections that determine its seasonality are evaluated. Seasonal variations in the continental-scale geopotential height field and the seasonal formation and breakdown of the Somali jet provide a large-scale framework for understanding the region’s seasonality. Interactions with mesoscale hydrodynamics associated with lake/land circulations and orographic flow superimpose to provide a more complete understanding.

This study presents the eco-friendly synthesis and characterization of chitosan–ZnO hybrid biocomposites, utilizing chitosan extracted from tiger prawn shells as a natural polymer matrix for encapsulating zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs). The biocomposites were synthesized through environmentally friendly processes and characterized by FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and SEM coupled with EDS. Photocatalytic assessments were conducted under UV and visible light against organic dyes methylene blue (MB), toluidine blue, and bromophenyl blue. The results indicated that ZnO NPs degraded MB, toluidine blue, and bromophenyl blue with efficiencies of 74.8%, 87.5%, and 97.4%, respectively. Chitosan–ZnO NPs and chitosan–ZnO/PVA NPs demonstrated varied efficiencies, with the latter showing superior performance across all dyes, achieving degradation efficiencies of 82.2% for MB, 87.8% for toluidine blue, and 99.01% for bromophenyl blue in 10 min. These results shows the improved photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites, especially with chitosan–ZnO/PVA NPs, which employing their possible use in dyes removal and environmental remediation projects. This work emphasizes the feasibility of chitosan-based biocomposites as an efficient photocatalysts, therefore supporting sustainable material development in ecological uses.

The experience of receiving and/or providing emotional support to one’s spouse is a common occurrence among older couples. While previous research indicates that receiving emotional support can paradoxically elevate negative mood, achieving supportive equity—where both partners reciprocally exchange emotional support—mitigates these negative effects and is associated with better well-being. To date, this buffering effect of support equity has been documented among younger couples but remains underresearched among older populations. The present study uses data from the National Study of Daily Experiences, an 8-day daily diary study (N = 672 married individuals), to examine the impact of supportive equity on negative affect in middle-aged and older adults. Results indicate that emotional support equity is associated with decreased negative affect for older adults compared with middle-aged adults, highlighting the benefit of supportive equity for older adults and the need for more research on middle-aged adults.

The elevation of natural river levees can vary considerably along the length of a river, and low‐lying features such as secondary floodplain channels allow for hydrologic exchange between a river and its floodplain over a range of discharges. This hydrologic, “river‐floodplain connectivity” plays a role in attenuating flood waves and transporting fluvial material to floodplain ecosystems. However, flood wave attenuation and transport are also limited by the available storage provided by floodplains. In this study, we explore the combined controls of river‐floodplain connectivity and floodplain width on flood wave attenuation and transport, and how those controls change as flood magnitude increases. We develop idealized river‐floodplain models based on the geometry of the lower Trinity River in Texas, USA, varying floodplain width, peak discharge, and degree of river‐floodplain connectivity, which we prescribe by varying the width of a secondary channel connecting the river to the floodplain. We show that attenuation transitions from connectivity‐limited to storage‐limited as discharge increases. Secondary channel conveyance allows for floodplain inundation at lower discharges, but also fills the floodplain faster and, for larger floods, can cause higher flood peaks downstream. Greater secondary channel conveyance and wider floodplains increase fluxes to the floodplain, but secondary conveyance allows the floodplain to drain faster while wider floodplains have longer average residence times. This study presents a framework for understanding how secondary channel conveyance and floodplain width combine to modulate lateral flow exchange, residence times, and flood wave attenuation, and can guide successful management of river systems and future restoration efforts.

Background Symptoms and pathophysiology are often discordant. To better understand areas of debate regarding diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and compressive median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel (CMNCT), we assessed (1) Do studies distinguish CTS (illness) and CMNCT (pathophysiology)? (2) What aspects of diagnosis are evaluated in studies of CTS and CMNCT? and (3) What diagnostic strategies are used for CTS?. Methods We identified 186 consecutive studies that addressed diagnostic strategies for CTS or CMNCT and assessed the aspects of diagnosis addressed, the diagnostic strategies addressed, the distinction between CTS and CMNCT, whether CTS or CMNCT was the subject of study, and the reference standard for CTS or CMNCT diagnosis. Results Seventy studies (38%) distinguished CTS and CMNCT. Most evaluated measures of pathophysiology either in isolation (68%) or combined with other factors (17%). Among the 128 studies that addressed diagnosis of CTS, the majority (66%) used a reference standard that included both symptoms and measures of pathophysiology, and the others used symptoms and signs alone. Discussion In diagnostic experiments, separation of symptoms and pathophysiology has the potential to identify factors associated with their discordance. Better understanding of such discordance could limit misattribution of symptoms to pathophysiology, misdiagnosis, and overtreatment.

Stretchable, soft electronics have high potential for wearable healthcare applications and biointerfacing. One approach to render inherently brittle conductive polymers such as poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) stretchable are organic plasticizers. However, little is known on how they affect the morphology and in result the electrical properties of conductive thin‐films. This study fundamentally explores this relationship using a bilayer model of transfer‐printed PEDOT:PSS on stretchable, biocompatible poly(vinyl alcohol) substrates infused with glycerol (15–55 wt.%). The diffusion of the plasticizer leads to a reorganization of PEDOT and PSS, which is investigated using a multicomponent diffusion model. This approach correctly predicts the (plasticizer‐dependent) increase in conductivity that followed plasticizer diffusion and is attributed to the reorganization toward more interconnected PEDOT domains. In result, the system shows an improved electrical response to strain as well as crack‐free elongation. Simultaneously, the electrical resistance decreases to one‐fifth of its initial value, which is attributed to chain‐alignment upon strain.

Image-based computational tools could enable physicians to personalize and optimize intra-arterial drug delivery and predict outcomes before administering treatments. Tailoring the drug delivery process to the specific attributes of each individual can significantly improve the overall efficacy and safety of the treatment. This chapter describes a patient-specific computational model developed to support the design of intra-arterial nanoparticulate drug delivery systems and advance our understanding of the complex interface between the physicochemical properties of the drugs delivered and the local physiological factors at play. Results of our in silico analysis show that the patient’s vascular architecture, local hemodynamics, and disease state, along with drug design parameters, including particle size and surface characteristics, influence the vascular deposition pattern of nanomedicine.

The IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Cities shows how cities must adapt to climate risks. Urban planners need to create solutions that fit each city’s needs, enhancing urban adaptability and resilience in the context of increasing climate-related risks. Sustainable urban planning, increased citizen awareness, and resilient infrastructure design are crucial in mitigating the growing impacts of climate change on human settlements. Addressing these challenges requires the integration of perspectives from diverse disciplines, including the natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering fields. This article draws on insights from a collaborative effort among experts in these areas, promoting a more coordinated and interdisciplinary approach. By bridging this expertise, we aim to advance resilience practices and awareness, fostering effective urban climate solutions in Texas and beyond.

In this pioneering study, inspired by AutoGPT, the state-of-the-art open-source application based on the GPT-4 large language model, we develop a novel tool called AD-AutoGPT, which can conduct data collection, processing, and analysis about complex health narratives of Alzheimer’s Disease in an autonomous manner via users’ textual prompts. We collated comprehensive data from a variety of news sources, including the Alzheimer’s Association, BBC, Mayo Clinic, and the National Institute on Aging since June 2022, leading to the autonomous execution of robust trend analyses, intertopic distance map visualization, and identification of salient terms pertinent to Alzheimer’s Disease. This approach has yielded not only a quantifiable metric of relevant discourse but also valuable insights into public focus on Alzheimer’s Disease. This application of AD-AutoGPT in public health signifies the transformative potential of AI in facilitating a data-rich understanding of complex health narratives like Alzheimer’s Disease in an autonomous manner, setting the groundwork for future AI-driven investigations in global health landscapes. Code, a demo video, and other information are available at https://github.com/levyisthebest/AD-AutoGPT.

Here we introduce a series of associative algebras attached to a vertex operator algebra V of CFT type, called mode transition algebras, and show they reflect both algebraic properties of V and geometric constructions on moduli of curves. Pointed and coordinatized curves, labeled by admissible V-modules, give rise to sheaves of coinvariants. We show that if the mode transition algebras admit multiplicative identities satisfying certain natural properties (called strong identity elements), these sheaves deform as wanted on families of curves with nodes. This provides new contexts in which coherent sheaves of coinvariants form vector bundles. We also show that mode transition algebras carry information about higher level Zhu algebras and generalized Verma modules. To illustrate, we explicitly describe the higher level Zhu algebras of the Heisenberg vertex operator algebra, proving a conjecture of Addabbo–Barron.

Coordinated specialty care (CSC) is an evidence-based, early intervention approach for individuals with a recent onset of psychosis. This study identifies program and individual characteristics that predict (1) initial engagement in care; (2) the use of peer and family partner services; and (3) time to disengagement. Administrative data representing CSC encounters at 22 community mental health programs were analyzed. Logistic regressions were used to model initial CSC engagement, as well as the use of peer or family partner services, given initial engagement. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to quantify program disengagement, with possible time-varying effects of peer service use. Identified predictors of initial engagement included: race/ethnicity, age, diagnosis, program urbanicity, and program maturity. Identified predictors of disengagement in the first year included: diagnosis, program urbanicity, and program maturity. Peer and family partner services did not significantly predict disengagement. These results suggest equity issues for some individuals, while also highlighting the importance of program characteristics on pathways to care. Future research should include program factors as key predictors for engagement, explore both person-centered and program-centered strategies to maximize engagement, and optimize and examine the role of individual and family peer services in engagement. Such a shift would align with the call to understand pathways to care from a community-level rather than individual lens.

Objectives A randomized controlled trial was designed to compare 2 methods of repairing simple pediatric facial lacerations. We hypothesized that wounds repaired with 5-0 fast-absorbing gut sutures and overlying adhesive strips would be superior with regard to cosmetic outcome compared with 5-0 fast-absorbing gut sutures alone. Methods Patients 0 to 17 years old presenting to the emergency department with simple, linear facial lacerations requiring repair with sutures were eligible for enrollment. Patients were randomly assigned to repair with either 5-0 fast-absorbing gut sutures with overlying adhesive strips or 5-0 fast-absorbing gut sutures alone. Families were contacted by phone at 2 weeks to discuss complications. At 2 months, participants were sent a secure link to upload photos of the scar electronically. The scars were then evaluated using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) by a blinded Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician and Pediatric Plastic Surgeon. Results A total of 120 patients were enrolled, and 81 photos were received. The VAS scores for the fast-absorbing gut sutures with overlying adhesive strips group were similar to the fast-absorbing gut sutures alone group (53.9 vs. 54.5 mm, P =0.87). The Lin Correlation Coefficient was 0.74, indicating strong agreement between the raters. There was no significant difference in time to completion or ease of repair. There was only one complication due to infection in the fast-absorbing gut sutures alone group, and one reported partial wound dehiscence in the same group. Conclusions Using adhesive strips overlying fast-absorbing gut sutures leads to a similar cosmetic outcome as using fast-absorbing gut sutures alone for simple facial laceration repair. While this technique did not show improved cosmesis or increased complications, it could be considered in select patients or may not be necessary.

Purpose Observations following the mechanical alignment principle have led to the concept that the lateral femoral condyle (LFC) is hypoplastic in valgus knee. This study aimed to investigate if this assumption is correct—the hypothesis was that there is no relationship between the radius of curvature of the LFC and coronal alignment. Methods This is a retrospective study of prospectively collected patients who underwent primary robotic TKA between 2021 and 2023. Segmentation of the preoperative computerised tomography scan was performed to obtain a three‐dimensional model of the knee. A semi‐automated algorithm was used to create a circle of best fit to obtain the radius of each femoral condyle. The size of the condyles was expressed as the lateral‐to‐medial (L2M) condylar radii ratio. Patients were stratified based on hip–knee–ankle (HKA) angle and L2M ratio, and the association with the alignment was analysed. Distal and posterior offset were investigated and analysed. Significance was for p values < 0.05. Results Overall, 498 consecutive knees were investigated. The mean HKA was 4.1 ± 5.4° varus. The mean L2M condylar ratio was 0.95 in patients with neutral alignment, 0.98 in varus alignment and 0.96 in valgus alignment. The L2M ratio was <1 in all alignment groups, with no significant differences between varus and valgus. The knees with a hypoplastic LFC (L2M ratio <0.9) showed a similar HKA distribution to those with L2M > 0.9. No differences in posterior offset of the LFC were noted between valgus, neutral and varus knees. The lateral distal offset was greater in valgus than neutral knees (27.1 ± 2.7 mm vs. 25.9 ± 2.9 mm). Conclusion The LFC is on average smaller than the MFC regardless of the coronal alignment, with no correlation with the HKA. These findings add evidence against the concept of a hypoplastic LFC in valgus knees. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective cohort study.

Importance Current topical treatments for scalp psoriasis are limited by formulation, efficacy, and/or safety. Objective To assess safety and efficacy of roflumilast foam, 0.3%, in patients with psoriasis of the scalp and body. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a phase 3 double-blinded, vehicle-controlled randomized clinical trial conducted between August 24, 2021, and June 3, 2022, at 49 sites in Canada and the US. Eligible participants were 12 years and older with plaque psoriasis affecting up to 25% of the scalp and body, at least 10% of the scalp, and up to 20% of nonscalp areas, with a minimum Scalp−Investigator Global Assessment (S-IGA) score of 3 (moderate), and minimum Body−IGA (B-IGA) score of 2 (mild). Data analyses were performed from September 9 to December 30, 2022. Interventions Once-daily roflumilast foam, 0.3%, or vehicle for 8 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures Coprimary end points were S-IGA and B-IGA success (clear [0] or almost clear [1] plus ≥2-grade improvement) at week 8. Secondary end points included S-IGA success at weeks 2 and 4, change in Scalp Itch−Numeric Rating Scale (SI-NRS), and SI-NRS and Worst Itch−NRS (WI-NRS) success (≥4-point improvement in patients with baseline score of ≥4). Safety and tolerability were also assessed. Results A total of 432 patients (mean [SD] age, 47.3 [14.8] years; 243 women [56.3%]) were randomized to roflumilast foam (n = 281) or vehicle (n = 151). At week 8, 66.4% of the roflumilast group achieved S-IGA success vs 27.8% of the vehicle group ( P < .001); and 45.5% of the roflumilast group achieved B-IGA success compared with 20.1% of the vehicle group ( P < .001). Rates for S-IGA success at week 2 and SI-NRS and WI-NRS success at weeks 2, 4, and 8 were significantly higher for roflumilast vs vehicle. Improvements in SI-NRS were greater for the roflumilast vs the vehicle group as early as the first assessment (24 hours after the first application). Both study groups had low rates of adverse events and favorable tolerability profiles. Conclusions and Relevance This randomized clinical trial found that roflumilast foam, 0.3%, improved signs and symptoms of psoriasis on the scalp and body, including pruritus, with low rates of adverse events in patients 12 years and older. These results demonstrate the potential of roflumilast foam, 0.3%, as monotherapy for patients with psoriasis of the scalp and body. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05028582

The revision burden of total hip arthroplasty is defined as the proportion of revision surgeries relative to the total number of arthroplasties performed. As indications for primary THA (pTHA) expand, alongside aging populations and increased life expectancies, there is an anticipated exponential rise in pTHA procedures both in the United States and globally. While the rate of revision THA (rTHA) is also expected to increase, it is projected to do so at a slower pace compared to pTHA, resulting in a decreased revision burden. Nevertheless, this decrease should not overshadow the significant challenges posed by rTHA in the future. Revision THA is a complex and resource-intensive procedure, often associated with higher risks, more frequent complications, increased costs, and less favorable outcomes compared to pTHA. Traditional causes for revision surgeries, such as aseptic loosening and instability, are increasingly being replaced by periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Advanced surgical techniques, cutting-edge technology in surgical training, improved implant materials, and enhanced diagnostic tools may prove crucial in managing and potentially reducing the incidence of rTHA.