cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
False-Positive Culture Results from Patient Tissue Specimens Due to Contamination of RPMI Medium with Cryptococcus albidus

Cryptococcus albidus, a rare opportunist, was isolated from biopsy specimens from three patients over 4 days. An investigation showed that the specimens had been contaminated by placement in RPMI medium. The importance of rapid communication between the microbiology laboratory, the infectious diseases/infection control division, and other involved parties in the event of unusual occurrences is highlighted.
THORACIC VOLUME REDUCTION AS A MECHANISM FOR PULMONARY HYPOPLASIA IN CHONDRODYSTROPHIC MICE

Day-18 fetal mice with chondrodysplasia (CHO) have been shown to have pulmonary hypoplasia and thoracic volume reduction, and it has been hypothesized that the former is a secondary effect of the latter. To establish a pathogenetic relationship between thoracic volume reduction and pulmonary hypoplasia, it must first be demonstrated that the decrease in thoracic volume precedes or coincides with the morphologic effect on the lungs. At 24-h intervals through gestation days 14 to 18, the thoracic volume and lung histopathology for normal and chondrodystrophic fetuses were estimated by image analysis of frontal histologic sections. Relative to normal littermates, the average thoracic volumes of day-16, day-17, and day-18 mutants were significantly decreased by 18%, 34%, and 49%, respectively. In the mutants' lungs the histology was normal through day 16, but on days 17 and 18 the frequency of the more distended primary saccules and the amount of potential airspace were decreased relative to normal. These results support the hypothesis that the relative decrease in thoracic volume of the mutant precedes the departure from normal for primary saccule development. The reduction effect on thoracic volume therefore is pathogenetically related to the hypoplastic lungs of fetal mice with lethal chondrodystrophy.
In the Blood: Cape Breton Conversations on Culture

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Burt Feintuch Year: 2010 Pages: 290 Publisher: Utah State University Press ISBN: 978-0-87421-779-7 (soft cover).
3D Silicon Betavoltaics Microfabricated using a Self-Aligned Process for 5 Milliwatt/CC Average, 5 Year Lifetime Microbatteries

We report on the first demonstration of high efficiency 3D silicon betavoltaics, microtextured with deep reactive ion etched (DRIE) trenches, for potential application in 5 year lifetime 5 mW / cc Promethium -147 powered microbatteries. Prototype 3D silicon betavoltaics were designed and microfabricated in a 2-mask self-aligned process, and characterized using accelerated electron beams in a scanning electron microscope to yield 1.02 % conversion efficiency @ 30 kV acceleration voltage.
Space-time code performance bounds on quasistatic fading channels

We evaluate truncated union bounds on the frame error rate performance of space-time (ST) codes operating over the quasistatic fading channel and compare them to the results from computer simulation. Both ST trellis and block codes are considered. We calculate these bounds by characterizing the set of codeword differences from a general expression for the exact pairwise error probability (PEP). We discussed in detail the significantly tighter numerical bound for quasistatic fading and demonstrate the code properties that account for this tightness. Using this improved bound we show empirical evidence that for some codes a set of dominant error events characterize the FER performance. We also compare these performance results to outage capacity.
The Ohio University beam swinger facility

Abstract The Ohio University time-of-flight spectrometer has been completely redesigned to make use of a beam swinger magnet. Flight paths of 4–30 m are available over the angular range from −4° to +160°. Improved shielding, collimation and detector design provide substantial improvements in neutron scattering experiments for neutron energies up to 26 MeV.
Self-reference and the acyclicity of rational choice

Abstract Guided by an analogy between the logic of truth and the logic of a rationally choosing agent, I propose for the latter a principle of acyclicity, which blocks paradoxical self-referring reasoning. Certain decision-theoretic paradoxes are used to illustrate what can happen when acyclicity is violated. The principle, however, is argued for directly on grounds of coherence. Among its consequences are certain decision-theoretic rules, as well as a guiding line for setting Bayesian prior probabilities. From this perspective I discuss in the last two sections Prisoner's Dilemma and Newcomb's Paradox.
Mortality in Appalachian coal mining regions: the value of statistical life lost.

Objectives.We examined elevated mortality rates in Appalachian coal mining areas for 1979–2005, and estimated the corresponding value of statistical life (VSL) lost relative to the economic benefit...
the cooties effect: Amygdala reactivity to opposite-versus same-sex faces declines from childhood to adolescence

One of the most important social identities that children learn to define themselves and others by is sex, becoming a salient social category by early childhood. Although older children begin to show greater flexibility in their gendered behaviors and attitudes, gender rigidity intensifies again around the time of puberty. In the current study, we assessed behavioral and neural biases to sex across a wide age group. Ninety-three youth ages 7-17 years provided behavioral rating of same-and opposite-sex attitudes, and 52 youth ages 4-18 years underwent an fMRI scan as they matched the emotion of same-and opposite-sex faces. We demonstrate significant age-related behavioral biases of sex that are mediated by differential amygdala response to opposite-sex relative to same-sex faces in children, an effect that completely attenuates by the teenage years. Moreover, we find a second peak in amygdala sensitivity to opposite-sex faces around the time of puberty. Thus, the amygdala codes for developmentally dependent and motivationally relevant social identification across development.
Changes in Morbidity and Chronic Disability in the U.S. Elderly Population: Evidence from the 1982, 1984, and 1989 National Long Term Care Surveys

We examined changes in the reported prevalence of 16 medical conditions in the U.S. population age 65 and above using data from the 1982, 1984, and 1989 National Long Term Care Surveys. Changes in those disease prevalence rates were examined both as observed, and after standardizing for changes in the age, sex, and disability distributions in the U.S. elderly population between 1982 and 1989. We found significant declines in the net prevalence of the 16 medical conditions between 1982 and 1989. Significant changes were found in different disability, age, and gender groups and after standardizing for declines in disability in addition to age and sex. The declines in morbidity reported between 1982 and 1989 are consistent with the declines reported in the 1982 and 1989 National Long Term Care Surveys in the age and sex standardized prevalence of chronic disability and institutionalization.
Malaria Models with Spatial Effects

In this chapter, we provide a brief review about some recent studies on mathematical modeling of malaria transmission in spatially heterogeneous en- vironments. Deterministic models described by ordinary differential equations and reaction-diffusion equations are used to investigate the spatial spread of malaria be- tween humans and mosquitoes. Selected topics include the importance of modeling spatial heterogeneity, basic models with infective immigrants, multi-patch models, and reaction-diffusion models. The chapter ends with a brief discussion about possi- ble future research directions.
EMPATH: A Neural Network that Categorizes Facial Expressions

There are two competing theories of facial expression recognition. Some researchers have suggested that it is an example of "categorical perception." In this view, expression categories are considered to be discrete entities with sharp boundaries, and discrimination of nearby pairs of expressive faces is enhanced near those boundaries. Other researchers, however, suggest that facial expression perception is more graded and that facial expressions are best thought of as points in a continuous, low-dimensional space, where, for instance, "surprise" expressions lie between "happiness" and "fear" expressions due to their perceptual similarity. In this article, we show that a simple yet biologically plausible neural network model, trained to classify facial expressions into six basic emotions, predicts data used to support both of these theories. Without any parameter tuning, the model matches a variety of psychological data on categorization, similarity, reaction times, discrimination, and recognition difficulty, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We thus explain many of the seemingly complex psychological phenomena related to facial expression perception as natural consequences of the tasks' implementations in the brain.
The use of intraoperative radiolymphoscintigraphy for sentinel node biopsy in patients with malignant melanoma.

background Selective lymphadenectomy or “sentinel node” biopsy Ms been introduced recently by Morton and colleagues (Arch Surg 1992;127:392–9) to stage patients with intermediate and thick malignant melanomas. It has proven to be an effective way to identify nodal basins at risk for metastasis without the morbidity of a complete lymph node dissection. The majority of biopsies can be performed under local anesthesia with small incisions, but technical difficulties occasionally result in unsuccessful explorations. Identification of the sentinel node can be enhanced by a intraoperative radiolymphoscintigraphy, a technique introduced Alex and Krag (Surg Oncol 1993;137–43) tint uses radiolabeled sulfur colloid and a hand-held gamma probe. objective We used intraoperative radiolymphoscintigraphy in conjunction with 1% lymphazurin blue dye to define the sentinel node(s) in 148 patients with greater than 0.76 mm in thickness or Clark level TV melanomas. Sentinel lymph nodes were isolated, harvested, and examined using conventional histopathology, and immunohistochemistry for S-100 and HMB-45 antibodies. results The overall success rate of sentinel lymph node localization was 97% using a combination of the two techniques. Twenty-one (34%) patients had micrometastasis, and 17 of these subsequently underwent complete lymph node dissection. A total of 220 of 275 (80%) sentinel nodes harvested were radioactive or “hot” compared with 165 of 275 (60%) with the blue dye alone. Four of the patients with micrometastasis had sentinel nodes positive by gamma probe, but negative by blue dye mapping techniques. conclusion Our results suggest that intraoperative radiolymphosintigraphy using a hand-held gamma detecting probe improves the identification of sentinel lymph nodes during selective lymphadenectomy. This may reduce the number of “unsuccessful explorations” using the vital blue dye technique for lymphatic mapping, and appeal to a greater variety of surgeons, including dermatologic surgeons.
Validation of electronic health record phenotyping of bipolar disorder cases and controls.

Objective:The study was designed to validate use of electronic health records (EHRs) for diagnosing bipolar disorder and classifying control subjects.Method:EHR data were obtained from a health care system of more than 4.6 million patients spanning more than 20 years. Experienced clinicians reviewed charts to identify text features and coded data consistent or inconsistent with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Natural language processing was used to train a diagnostic algorithm with 95% specificity for classifying bipolar disorder. Filtered coded data were used to derive three additional classification rules for case subjects and one for control subjects. The positive predictive value (PPV) of EHR-based bipolar disorder and subphenotype diagnoses was calculated against diagnoses from direct semistructured interviews of 190 patients by trained clinicians blind to EHR diagnosis.Results:The PPV of bipolar disorder defined by natural language processing was 0.85. Coded classification based on strict filtering...
Actin Filament Bundles in Drosophila Wing Hairs: Hairs and Bristles Use Different Strategies for Assembly

Actin filament bundles can shape cellular extensions into dramatically different forms. We examined cytoskeleton formation during wing hair morphogenesis using both confocal and electron microscopy...
Area Traffic Control and Network Equilibrium

Area traffic control systems play an important role in determining the equilibrium between demand and supply in an urban highway network. The paper describes some of the methods that have been developed for the operation of these systems and derives the level-of-service that would result from a given set of flows. Currently used techniques attempt to optimize network performance assuming a fixed pattern of demands. It is shown, via an example, that control measures can be used to affect the demand pattern in such a way that total network performance is improved. A model for achieving this objective is discussed.
An Algorithm to Detect Stepping-Stones in the Presence of Chaff Packets

A major concern for network intrusion detection systems is the ability of an intruder to evade the detection by routing through a chain of the intermediate hosts to attack a target machine and maintain the anonymity. Such an intermediate host is called a stepping-stone. The intruders have developed some evasion techniques such as injecting chaff packets. A number of algorithms have been proposed to detect stepping-stones, but some of them failed to detect correctly when the network traffic is somehow corrupted or with the chaff packets. We discuss the viability of solving those issues by improving a previous methodology. The algorithm is based on finding as many matched pairs of incoming and outgoing packets on the same host as possible and then decide whether it is a stepping-stone connection by the mismatched rate. We examine a number of tradeoffs in choosing the threshold values by simulating network traffic. Our experiments report a very good performance with very low false detection rates when using carefully selected parameter values.
BOUNDARY EFFECTS ON THE DRAG OF AN OSCILLATING SPHERE: APPLICATIONS TO THE MAGNETIC SPHERE RHEOMETER

Abstract The effect of a closed, nearby boundary on the drag of a small, oscillating sphere in an incompressible, linearly viscoelastic medium is studied. Through a perturbation procedure the functional dependence of the drag on the complex oscillatory Reynolds number is determined and shown on differ from that of the unbounded case. These results allow one to account for boundary effects in the determination of the complex viscosity using the magnetic sphere rheometer. This paper is motivated by the rheological study of materials purified in minute quantities such as intracellular protients, thus the need for small chamber sizes for use with the rheometer and the need for boundary corrections for the drag.
Immunological role of vitamin D at the maternal–fetal interface

During pregnancy, immune activity is tightly regulated so that antimicrobial protection of the mother and fetus is balanced with the need for immune tolerance to prevent fetal rejection. In this setting, the maternal-fetal interface, in the form of the uterine decidua, provides a heterogeneous immune cell population with the potential to mediate diverse activities throughout pregnancy. Recent studies have suggested that vitamin D may be a key regulator of immune function during pregnancy, with the fetal-maternal interface representing a prominent target. Among its non-classical actions are potent immunomodulatory effects, including induction of antibacterial responses and modulation of T-lymphocytes to suppress inflammation and promote tolerogenesis. Thus, vitamin D may play a pivotal role in normal decidual immune function by promoting innate responses to infection, while simultaneously preventing an over-elaboration of inflammatory adaptive immunity. Research to date has focused upon the potential role of vitamin D in preventing infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, as well as possibly suppressing of autoimmune disease. Nevertheless, vitamin D may also influence facets of immune function not immediately associated with primary innate responses. This review summarises our current understanding of decidual immune function with respect to the vitamin D metabolism and signalling, and as to how this may be affected by variations in maternal vitamin D status. There has recently been much interest in vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women, but our knowledge of how this may influence the function of decidua remains limited. Further insight into the immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D during pregnancy will help shed light upon this.
Application of microwave techniques in the analysis of quantum waveguide structures and devices

An extension of the generalized scattering matrix (GSM) technique is formulated to compute the GSM of nonuniform quantum waveguide structures with two-dimensional quantum confinement of electronic states. Low-temperature I-V characteristics for a double constriction are presented, exhibiting a region of negative differential resistance (NDR). A simple design procedure for increasing the temperature range with achievable NDR is introduced. >
Governing the global value chain: GLOBALGAP and the Chilean fresh fruit industry.

An important argument within the agri-food literature is that power within the value chain has shifted from producers to global supermarkets chains. An example of this is GLOBALGAP, a standards and certification scheme launched by a handful of UK and European supermarkets, which allows them to govern their global value chains. This case study draws on in-depth interviews to understand how large-scale producers and exporters within the Chilean fresh fruit export sector have responded to GLOBALGAP. Rather than accept the role of standards takers, the organizational leadership of this sector has integrated itself within the decision-making structures of GLOBALGAP as standards makers. From their perspective, GLOBALGAP is a tool that will help consolidate and advance their position as world leaders in the export of fresh fruits. While the rising power of retailers is extraordinary, this study demonstrates that we cannot ignore how large-scale producers and exporters are also positioning themselves to negotiate, lead, and advance their own interests.
Two Moral Mistakes in the American Criminal Justice System

A state’s criminal justice system must serve two masters: it must protect the security of persons and property, and it must respect the liberties of the people. It is bound by both duties and must strike the morally correct balance between them. In this paper, I discuss some principles that I believe must be elements in that balance. I defend these principles as a necessary part of any effective, liberty-respecting criminal justice system; describe the extreme departure from those principles in the United States; and note some recent interest in reforms that, should they take root, could mark the beginning of an American transition towards a safer, less incarcerated and more liberty-affirming country.
Two Simple Recursive Formulas for Summing 1k + 2k + 3k + … + nk

(1987). Two Simple Recursive Formulas for Summing 1k + 2k + 3k + … + nk. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 18, No. 5, pp. 406-409.
THE GENETIC BASIS OF MICRODIFFERENTIATION IN NATURAL AND EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF BORRICHIA FRUTESCENS IN RELATION TO SALINITY.

It has been shown that local differentiation in plant populations does not require geographic discontinuity. Rather, differentiation across zinc, lead and copper mine boundaries has been documented over short distances (McNeilly, 1967; Antonovics and Bradshaw, 1970; Wu et al., 1975). Local differentiation in maritime populations (Aston and Bradshaw, 1966) and dune habitats (Silander and Antonovics, 1979) has also been demonstrated. All of these studies involve environmental changes which differ in kind as well as severity among adjacent populations. Theoretical analyses of patterns of microdifferentiation (Jain and Bradshaw, 1966; Antonovics, 1968; and Caisse and Antonovics, 1978) suggest that: (1) clines can be maintained by strong selection in the face of gene flow over short distances, (2) genetic divergence and reproductive isolation can occur between genetically contiguous populations and (3) perennial populations differ from annual populations in the rate of gene frequency change and response to pollen flow during the initial stages of colonization. Morphological differentiation and heavy metal tolerance have been well-documented over short distances. In contrast, studies of physiological variation have usually involved geographically isolated populations (Bjorkman, 1968a, 1968b; Chabot et al., 1972; Chapman and Jones, 1975). The objective of this study is to characterize physiological and morphological variation in adjacent populations along a salinity gradient and determine the proportion of
Electronic Signatures of a Model Pollutant–Particle System: Chemisorbed Phenol on TiO2(110)

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) are a class of composite organic/metal oxide pollutants that have recently been discovered to form from a wide variety of substituted benzenes chemisorbed to commonly encountered oxides. Although a qualitative understanding of EPFR formation on particulate metal oxides has been achieved, a detailed understanding of the charge transfer mechanism that must accompany the creation of an unpaired radical electron is lacking. In this study, we perform photoelectron spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy on a well-defined model system-phenol chemisorbed on TiO2(110) to directly observe changes in the electronic structure of the oxide and chemisorbed phenol as a function of adsorption temperature. We show strong evidence that, upon exposure at high temperature, empty states in the TiO2 are filled and the phenol HOMO is depopulated, as has been proposed in a conceptual model of EPFR formation. This experimental evidence of charge transfer provides a deeper understanding of the EPFR formation mechanism to guide future experimental and computational studies as well as potential environmental remediation strategies.
Phonomicrosurgery simulation: A low-cost teaching model using easily accessible materials

Objectives/Hypothesis To introduce the use of a new phonomicrosurgical trainer using easily accessible materials, and to establish the effectiveness of the model. Study Design The model uses a grape imbedded in gelatin, a microscope, and microlaryngeal instruments. The study was designed to test baseline differences in training levels, as well as improvement in performance after training with the simulation model. Methods Thirty subjects enrolled in the Stanford University School of Medicine otolaryngology training program performed microlaryngeal surgery tasks on a grape. Tasks were designed to model both excision of a vocal fold lesion and vocal fold injection. Anonymized video recordings comparing presimulation and postsimulation training were collected and graded by an expert laryngologist. Both objective comparison of skills and subjective participant surveys were analyzed. Results Objectively, trainees in all groups made statistically significant improvements across all tested variables, including microscope positioning, creation of a linear incision, elevation of epithelial flaps, excision of a crescent of tissue, vocal fold injection, preservation of remaining tissue, and time to complete all tasks. Subjectively, 100% of participants felt that they had increased comfort with microlaryngeal instruments and decreased intimidation of microlaryngeal surgery after completing the simulation training. This appreciation of skills was most notable and statistically significant in the intern trainees. Conclusion Microlaryngeal surgical simulation is a tool that can be used to train residents to prepare them for phonomicrosurgical procedures at all levels of training. Our low-cost model with accessible materials can be easily duplicated and used to introduce trainees to microlaryngeal surgery or improve skills of more senior trainees. Level of Evidence 1B. Laryngoscope, 2016
The hormonal environment and androgen receptor levels in prepubertal cryptorchid boys

From May 1991 to May 1992, we conducted a study in measuring the serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E 2) in 46 prepuberal cryptorchid boys and in 14 healthy controls. The radioimmunoassay technique was employed in investigating if there was possible hormonal disturbance in control of the testicular development and descent. The androgen receptor levels, of cultured fibroblasts collected from the external genital skin in 13 cryptorchid boys and in another 10 boys with hymosis as controls, were also determined by a whole cell assay with 3H methyltrienolone ( 3H R1881) as ligand.
Analysis of Packet Sending and Receiving by L3 Ethernet Switch CPU

The L3 Ethernet switch has developed rapidly. On one hand, it has greatly improved bandwidth and exchange capability of network equipment. On the other hand, network equipment is required to support more protocol types with the increasing of user demands. For design of an Ethernet switch, it is important to ensure normal interaction of protocol packets between different devices under a network environment of massive traffic. Taking the L3 Ethernet switch that uses Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) chip as an example, this article analyzes several typical issues about packet receiving and sending by CPU under a multi-progress environment, including CPU load, software and hardware queue settings, and communication mechanism between CPU and the switching chip. It then gives solutions to these issues, which may also work for the Network Processor (NP).
Automatic evaluation of children's performance on an English syllable blending task.

In this paper, speech recognition techniques are applied to automatically evaluate children's performance in a syllable blending task. Word verification is performed to filter out utterances pronounced incorrectly. For valid words, forced alignment is applied to generate syllable segmentations and produce the corresponding HMM log likelihood scores. Normalized spectral likelihoods and duration ratio scores are combined to assess the overall quality of children's productions. Speaker-specific information is further incorporated to optimize performance. Experimental results show that the automatic system correlates well with those of teachers, but requires no human supervision.
Localization and Functional Characterization of the Deoxyhemoglobin Binding Site on Human Erythrocyte Band 3.

Band 3, the major protein of the human erythrocyte membrane, associates with multiple metabolic, ion transport, and structural proteins of the cell. Functional studies demonstrate that the oxygenation state of the erythrocyte regulates metabolic, ion transport and mechanical properties of the cell. Because deoxyhemoglobin, but not oxyhemoglobin, binds band 3 with high affinity, these observations raise the hypothesis that hemoglobin (Hb) might regulate erythrocyte properties through its oxygenation-dependent association with band 3. To explore how reversible association of deoxyHb with band 3 might modulate erythrocyte properties, we have characterized the binding site of deoxyHb on human erythrocyte band 3. We report that: the deoxyHb binding site on the erythrocyte membrane comprises residues 12–23 of band 3; mutation of residues on either side of this sequence greatly enhances affinity of deoxyHb for band 3, suggesting that evolution of a higher affinity interaction was possible had it been beneficial; Hb does not bind to two similar sequences in band 3 despite their high sequence homology to residues 12–23, and the Hb binding site on band 3 lies proximal to binding sites for glycolytic enzymes, band 4.1 and ankyrin, suggesting possible mechanisms through which multifarious erythrocyte properties might be regulated by Hb oxygenation. We conclude that nature has evolved a deoxyHb binding site on band 3 whose affinity is regulated by O2, enabling the reversible association of deoxyHb with band 3 to serve as a regulator of the oxygenation-dependent properties of the cell.
Human Milk Oligosaccharides and the Preterm Infant: A Journey in Sickness and in Health

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a group of approximately 200 different unconjugated sugar structures in human milk proposed to support infant growth and development. Data from several preclinical animal studies and human cohort studies suggest HMOs reduce preterm infant mortality and morbidity by shaping the gut microbiome and protecting against necrotizing enterocolitis, candidiasis, and several other immune-related diseases. Current feeding practices and clinical algorithms do not consider infant HMO intake when assessing dietary adequacy or disease risk. Advancements in HMO analytical methodologies and HMO synthesis facilitate cohort and intervention studies to investigate which particular HMOs are most relevant in supporting preterm infants.
How to become an idealist: Fichte on the transition from dogmatism to idealism

ABSTRACTIn Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, Kant claims that all human beings are originally and radically evil: they choose to adopt a ‘supreme maxim’ that gives preference to sensibility over the moral law. Because Kant thinks that all agents have a duty to develop good character, part of his task in the Religion is to explain how moral conversion is possible. Four years after Kant publishes the Religion, J. G. Fichte takes up the issue of conversion in slightly different terms: he is interested in how people he characterizes as ‘dogmatists’ (those who minimize or deny their status as free agents) become ‘idealist’ (those who recognize and exercise their freedom). Against recent interpreters, I argue that Fichte characterizes the choice to convert from dogmatism to idealism as one that is grounded in a non-rational choice. Along the way, I consider Daniel Breazeale and Allen Wood’s recent arguments to the contrary, alternative accounts of what it might mean for a conversion to count as ‘ra...
Non-visual Web Browsing: Beyond Web Accessibility

People with vision impairments typically use screen readers to browse the Web. To facilitate non-visual browsing, web sites must be made accessible to screen readers, i.e., all the visible elements in the web site must be readable by the screen reader. But even if web sites are accessible, screen-reader users may not find them easy to use and/or easy to navigate. For example, they may not be able to locate the desired information without having to listen to a lot of irrelevant contents. These issues go beyond web accessibility and directly impact web usability. Several techniques have been reported in the accessibility literature for making the Web usable for screen reading. This paper is a review of these techniques. Interestingly, the review reveals that understanding the semantics of the web content is the overarching theme that drives these techniques for improving web usability.
Abstract 095: Uncoupling The Mitochondria Facilitates Alternans Formation In The Isolated Rabbit Heart

Alternans of action potential duration (APD) and intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) transients in the whole heart are thought to be markers of increased propensity to ventricular fibrillation during ischemia reperfusion injuries. During ischemia, ATP production is affected and the mitochondria become uncoupled. This uncoupling may play an important role in alternans formation in the heart. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of mitochondrial depolarization on the formation of APD and [Ca2+]i alternans in the isolated rabbit heart. We performed dual voltage and [Ca2+]i optical mapping of isolated rabbit hearts under control conditions, global no-flow ischemia (n=6), and after treatment with 50 nM of the mitochondrial uncoupler FCCP (n=6). We investigated the formation of alternans of APD, [Ca2+]i amplitude (CaA), and [Ca2+]i duration (CaD) in the heart, under different rates of pacing. We found that treatment with FCCP leads to the early occurrence of APD (192 ± 18 ms vs 136 ± 6 ms, p<0.05), CaD (182 ± 20 ms vs 133 ± 6 ms, p<0.05), and CaA (152 ± 5 ms vs 141 ± 3 ms, p<0.05) alternans, and an increase of intraventricular APD (0.44 ± 0.02 vs 0.2 ± 0.05, p<0.05) but not CaD (0.20 ± 0.03 vs 0.16 ± 0.03, p=N/S) heterogeneity, when compared to control. On the other hand, FCCP does not affect the conduction velocity in the heart (0.95 ± 0.06 m/s vs 1.05 ± 0.11 m/s, p=N/S). Furthermore, we demonstrated that FCCP and global ischemia have similar effects on the prolongation of [Ca2+]i transients, whereas ischemia induces a significantly larger reduction of APD compared to FCCP treatment. Our results demonstrate that uncoupling of mitochondria leads to earlier occurrence of alternans in the heart. Thus, in conditions of mitochondrial stress, as seen during myocardial ischemia, uncoupled mitochondria may be responsible for the formation of both APD and [Ca2+]i alternans in the heart, which in turn creates a substrate conducive to formation of ventricular arrhythmias.
Single-Dose Levonorgestrel Emergency Contraception and Silent Barriers to Its Access: Is It Really Just One Step?

Background: Single-dose levonorgestrel has been legally available over the counter in the United States without age restriction since 2013. The objective of this study was to discover if there are barriers to access and to determine if such barriers vary based on the gender of the person making the purchase. Materials and Methods: A male and female caller contacted 146 Richmond, Virginia pharmacies listed on the Plan B One Step® website. Ultimately, these callers interviewed 90 pharmacies via phone and used a rehearsed standardized script to ask eight questions regarding emergency contraception (EC) in relation to availability, age restrictions, parental consent, counseling requirements, and a male's ability to purchase the product. The statistical data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Results: Pharmacy employees provided incorrect information to both men and women regarding age restrictions for purchasing Plan B One Step 51% of the time. However, only seven of the pharmacy employees counseled tha...
Cardiovascular Genetic Risk Testing for Targeting Statin Therapy in the Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Background:It is unclear whether testing for novel risk factors, such as a cardiovascular genetic risk score (cGRS), improves clinical decision making or health outcomes when used for targeting sta...
Ultrafast pulse generation in the mid-infrared via modulated emissivity

We demonstrate that mid-infrared pulses can be generated by fast emissivity modulation of semiconductors. Ultrafast visible-frequency pulses were used to pump intrinsic unpatterned silicon and gallium arsenide, resulting in nanosecond-scale thermally emitted pulses.
Association of qualitative and quantitative imaging features on multiphasic multidetector CT with tumor grade in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

The purpose of the study was to determine if enhancement features and qualitative imaging features on multiphasic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) were associated with tumor grade in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In this retrospective, IRB approved, HIPAA-compliant, institutional review board-approved study with waiver of informed consent, 127 consecutive patients with 89 low grade (LG) and 43 high grade (HG) ccRCCs underwent preoperative four-phase MDCT in unenhanced (UN), corticomedullary (CM), nephrographic (NP), and excretory (EX) phases. Previously published quantitative (absolute peak lesion enhancement, absolute peak lesion enhancement relative to normal enhancing renal cortex, 3D whole lesion enhancement and the wash-in/wash-out of enhancement within the 3D whole lesion ROI) and qualitative (enhancement pattern; presence of necrosis; pattern of; tumor margin; tumor–parenchymal interface, tumor–parenchymal interaction; intratumoral vascularity; collecting system infiltration; renal vein invasion; and calcification) assessments were obtained for each lesion independently by two fellowship-trained genitourinary radiologists. Comparisons between variables included χ2, ANOVA, and student t test. p values less than 0.05 were considered to be significant. Inter-reader agreement was obtained with the Gwet agreement coefficient (AC1) and standard error (SE) was reported. No significant differences were observed between the LG and HG ccRCC cohorts with respect to absolute peak lesion enhancement and relative lesion enhancement ratio. There was a significant inverse correlation between low and high grade ccRCC and tumor enhancement the NP (71 HU vs. 54 HU, p < 0.001) and EX (52 HU vs. 39 HU, p < 0.001) phases using the 3D whole lesion ROI method. The percent wash-in of 3D enhancement from the UN to the CM phase was also significantly different between LG and HG ccRCCs (352% vs. 255%, p = 0.003). HG lesions showed significantly more calcification, necrosis, collecting system infiltration and ill-defined tumor margins (p < 0.05). Overall agreement between the two readers had a mean AC1 of 0.8172 (SE 0.0235). Quantitatively, high grade ccRCC had significantly lower whole lesion enhancement in the NP and EX phases on MDCT. Qualitatively, high grade ccRCC were significantly more likely to be associated with calcifications, necrosis, collecting system infiltration, and an ill-defined tumor margin.
Challenges and opportunities for self-administration of near-infrared fluorescent imaging agents

Near Infrared Fluorescence (NIRF) molecular imaging is widely used in research and increasingly employed in the clinic for intraoperative imaging to assist in tumor resection and avoiding critical structures. However, emerging data indicate that it may also find use in early stage diagnosis for diseases such as breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. The potential of NIRF probes to provide both molecular and spatial information using non-ionizing radiation in a fast and inexpensive format for clinical diagnosis has significant advantages over blood tests, anatomical and physiological imaging modalities (e.g. MRI, ultrasound), and nuclear medicine. Recently, we have published papers showing oral delivery and subcutaneous injection of NIRF probes are feasible in animal models of breast cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. These routes of administration are less expensive and potentially safer than intravenous delivery, further lowering the barrier to implementation. Despite the potential of self-administered diagnostic probes, there are several challenges before this approach could be broadly applied in the clinic. The principal challenge is depth of imaging, limiting applications to disease sites near an accessible body surface. Additional challenges include the selection of biomarkers to improve diagnosis over current practice and identifying targeting ligands suitable for less-invasive delivery. In this work, we discuss the challenges associated with delivering NIRF molecular imaging agents by oral and subcutaneous injection for the early or subclinical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. We outline a strategy for multiple probes that could provide complementary information and describe how optical advances could further improve the resolution for more accurate diagnosis.
Role of Gas-Phase Halogen Bonding in Ambient Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry Utilizing Iodine

Ambient ionization processes are becoming more widely used for the measurement of atmospherically relevant particles and gases. We report here ambient ionization mass spectra utilizing a commercial...
Geographic gender differences in traumatic unintentional injury hospitalization and youth drinking.

Abstract Introduction Few studies have used both spatial and non-spatial techniques to the study of alcohol outcomes. The objectives of this study were to identify clusters of traumatic unintentional injury hospitalizations by gender and blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and to determine trends and correlates by BAC levels. Methods State Trauma Registry data capturing unintentional injuries for those aged 10 to 24 hospitalized with negative and positive BAC levels (n = 6233) were analyzed from 2006 to 2015 for all Chicago block groups. Spatial clustering techniques were applied to detect spatial clusters and Generalized Estimating Equations to determine correlates and trends while controlling for correlation within block groups. Results Regardless of BAC level, hospitalization rates decreased for all age groups between 2006 to 2010 and 2011 to 2015 from 94.41 to 67.69 per 100,000 population. The decline for males hospitalized with positive BAC was 1.4 times greater than the decline for their female counterparts. Risk factors included being male, black or of a minority race, having no private insurance and living in a disadvantaged neighborhood. Male hospitalization rates clustered among 33 census block groups located in three Chicago Community Areas. No clustering was detected for female patients. Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of hospitalization. Conclusions Hospitalizations are decreasing in Chicago, yet the risk is concentrated, with greater decreasing rates among males than females. Spatial approaches can be valuable tools in analyzing substance abuse outcomes, to identify high-risk areas and shifts in risk within a large geographic area.
Generation Z and Spiritual Maturity

Those wanting to form members of Generation Z into mature disciples must overcome the challenges presented by their shared generational traits. This article summarizes the biblical teaching on spir...
Methods of computing fractal dimensions

We discuss two frequently calculated fractal dimensions, the capacity and information dimension and present efficient methods for their computation for sets embedded in ℝn. In particular we show how Monte Carlo calculation of areas and volumes can be used to compute the capacity using fewer box counting operations than straightforward box counting, and we discuss an efficient implementation of the method using a very fast one-dimensional sorting algorithm. Sets embedded in ℝ2 and ℝ3 are mapped to [0,1] using a folding map φ with the property that n·dim(φ(X)) = dim(X) where X c ℝn and dim is either the Hausdorff or the capacity dimension. Thus the problem of calculating the capacity dimension or the information dimension (in the case it coincides with the Hausdorff dimension) is reduced to computing these quantities for φ(X) in [0,1].
Enhanced anomalous Nernst effect in disordered Dirac and Weyl materials

We analyze the thermoelectric response of Dirac and Weyl semimetals using the semiclassical approach, focusing on the extrinsic contributions due to skew-scattering and side jump. Our results apply to the linear response Nernst effect in ferromagnetic Dirac materials such as ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}$ and Weyl semimetals like ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$. In the case of ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}$ we obtain a very good agreement with known experimental anomalous Hall effect measurements, and based on that we predict a large Nernst effect in this material. We also extend the investigation to second-order response, focusing on monolayer graphene on hBN with trigonal warping as an example. Our analysis indicates that the extrinsic contributions can be a significant component of anomalous Nernst response and may be used to explain an enhanced thermoelectric response.
Multiplexable fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) probes for Abl and Src-family kinases

Many commonly employed strategies to map kinase activities in live cells require expression of genetically encoded proteins (e.g. FRET sensors). In this work, we describe the development and preliminary application of a set of cell-penetrating, fluorophore labelled peptide substrates for fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of Abl and Src-family kinase activities. These probes do not rely on FRET pairs or genetically-encoded protein expression. We further demonstrate probe multiplexing and pixel-by-pixel quantification to estimate the relative proportion of modified probe, suggesting that this strategy will be useful for detailed mapping of single cell and subcellular dynamics of multiple kinases concurrently in live cells.
Devouring the nation: gastronomy and the settler-colonial sublime in Peru

This article explores chef Virgilio Martinez’s culinary exploration of Peruvian biodiversity and his claims of ‘discovering,’ selecting, classifying, and transforming local, ‘unknown,’ Indigenous i...
Metamaterial-like aerogels for broadband vibration mitigation

We report a mechanical metamaterial-like behavior as a function of the micro/nanostructure of otherwise chemically identical aliphatic polyurea aerogels. Transmissibility varies dramatically with frequency in these aerogels. Broadband vibration mitigation is provided at low frequencies (500–1000 Hz) through self-assembly of locally resonant metastructures wherein polyurea microspheres are embedded in a polyurea web-like network. A micromechanical constitutive model based on a discrete element method is established to explain the vibration mitigation mechanism. Simulations confirm the metamaterial-like behavior with a negative dynamic material stiffness for the micro-metastructured aerogels in a much wider frequency range than the majority of previously reported locally resonant metamaterials.
Scheduling Cooperative IoT Devices in High-Dense Cellular Systems with QoS Guarantees

We consider a cellular network with N Base Stations (BS) serving N groups of IoT devices. Each group has M devices requesting the same data and, thus, are allowed to cooperate. We are interested in finding the optimum BS-group assignment such that the network’s sum throughput is maximized. One of the main challenges in this problem is the quality-of-service (QoS) that is requested by each group in terms of a hard-deadline imposed on each packet. This problem captures a number of IoT applications including autonomous driving, health-care systems as well as wireless sensors in industry automation systems. We present a polynomial-time scheduling algorithm and show that it is throughput optimal. Through simulations, we show that the although the increase in number of users per group overloads the system, but the throughput increases due to the cooperation among these users. In addition, we show the superiority of our presented algorithm over baseline algorithms.