cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Two Approaches of Diffusible Iodine-Based Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography (diceCT) for Avian Cephalic Material.

Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography presents a comparatively new tool kit for imaging fine-scale three-dimensional phenotypes that is rapidly becoming standard anatomical practice. However, relatively few studies have attempted to look at subtle differences in staining protocols or attempted to model tissue reactions to gain insight into staining mechanisms. Here, two iodine-based contrast agents, iodine-ethanol (I2E) and iodine-potassium iodide (I2KI) in neutral buffered formalin , were applied to avian cephalic specimens to investigate their effectiveness. We found that the two solutions had markedly different results for staining of mineralized skeletal tissues (i.e., bone). Other tissues, including muscles, epithelia, and common connective tissues (e.g., lamina propria) were assessed individually and show minor differences in the sorption of iodine. Numerical simulations suggest that different results from I2E and I2KI-formaldehyde staining are due to different partition coefficients and retardation factors of tissues, fixation effects, as well as distinct iodine diffusion and sorption patterns. We found a clear positive relationship between glycogen concentration and grayscale values measured within muscle, epithelia, nervous tissues, and glands. We also found the use of ethanol for tissue fixation and following I2E staining outperforms I2KI-formaldehyde by providing higher efficiency for acquiring greater contrast both between different soft tissues and between mineralized and nonmineralized tissues.
Automatic Interpretation of Carotid Intima–Media Thickness Videos Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Abstract Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, yet it is largely preventable. But a critical part of prevention is identification of at-risk persons before adverse events. For predicting individual CVD risk, carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT), a noninvasive ultrasonography method, has proven to be valuable. However, each CIMT examination includes several ultrasonography videos, and interpreting each CIMT video involves 3 operations: (i) selecting 3 end-diastolic ultrasonographic frames (EUFs) in the video, (ii) localizing a region of interest (ROI) in each selected frame, and (iii) tracing the lumen–intima interface and the media–adventitia interface in each ROI to measure CIMT. These operations are tedious, laborious, and time-consuming, hindering the widespread utilization of CIMT in clinical practice. We present a new system based on convolutional neural networks to automate the entire process of CIMT video interpretation. The suggested system achieves a mean absolute error of 23.4 μm with a standard deviation of 17.3 μm for intima–media thickness measurements. The ANOVA test also yields p -values around 0.50, suggesting that there is a lack of evidence to show a difference among the CIMT measurements made by our system and those made by 3 experts. Our results suggest that the proposed system is robust against variability in CIMT measurements made by different experts.
Biological basis of radiation protection needs rejuvenation

AbstractPurpose: Human beings encounter radiation in many different situations – from proximity to radioactive waste sites to participation in medical procedures using X-rays etc. Limits for radiation exposures are legally regulated; however, current radiation protection policy does not explicitly acknowledge that biological, cellular and molecular effects of low doses and low dose rates of radiation differ from effects induced by medium and high dose radiation exposures. Recent technical developments in biology and medicine, from single cell techniques to big data computational research, have enabled new approaches for study of biology of low doses of radiation. Results of the work done so far support the idea that low doses of radiation have effects that differ from those associated with high dose exposures; this work, however, is far from sufficient for the development of a new theoretical framework needed for the understanding of low dose radiation exposures.Conclusions: Mechanistic understanding of r...
The impact of resident involvement in breast reconstruction surgery outcomes by modality: An analysis of 4,500 cases.

Background The goal of this study was to determine the impact of resident involvement on various methods of breast reconstruction via an American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) retrospective analysis. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of the ACS NSQIP database to identify patients undergoing breast reconstruction by free flap, implant, latissimus dorsi (LD), and transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstruction modalities. Primary outcomes measured include major and wound complications. Results A total of 4,500 cases were included in this analysis, of which residents participated in 1,743 (38.7%). Major complications occurred in 7.2% of all cases, and wound complications occurred in 3.3% of all cases. BMI was positively correlated with major complications in free flap, implant, and TRAM reconstruction groups. Wound complications were associated with BMI in free flap, implant, and TRAM reconstruction, with steroid use in implant and TRAM reconstruction, and with a history of bleeding disorder in LD reconstruction. Resident involvement did not reach significance in any reconstruction group as an independent factor for major or wound complications. Conclusions Resident involvement is safe and effective across implant, free flap, LD, and TRAM based methods of breast reconstruction with similar major and wound complication rates. Participation of trainees in these surgical cases is imperative for future patient care.
Systemic Thrombolysis, Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis, and Anticoagulation for Intermediate-risk Pulmonary Embolism: A Simulation Modeling Analysis

Objectives Decision making around the use of thrombolysis for patients with intermediate-risk (submassive) pulmonary embolism (PE) remains challenging. Studies indicate favorable clinical outcomes with systemic thrombolytics (intravenous tissue plasminogen activator [IV tPA]), but the risk of major bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke is a deterrent. Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) may be a preferable strategy, as it has been shown to have a lower risk of bleeding than systemic thrombolysis. However, a three-arm randomized control study comparing IV tPA, CDT, and anticoagulation alone, with long-term follow up, would be costly and is unlikely to be performed. The aim of this study was to use decision modeling to quantitatively estimate the differences between the three strategies. Methods We created an individual-level state-transition model to simulate long-term outcomes of a hypothetical patient cohort treated with IV tPA, CDT, or anticoagulation alone. Our model incorporated clinical randomized controlled trial and longitudinal study data to inform patient characteristics and outcomes specific to each study arm. The base case was a 65-year-old patient. Additionally, we utilized preliminary data published by the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Variance in model inputs was addressed with deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Our primary endpoint was quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Secondary endpoints included total cost and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results Catheter-directed thrombolysis (mean, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.388 [7.381–7.396] QALYs) resulted in the most long-term utility for eligible patients compared to anticoagulation alone (7.352 [7.345–7.360] QALYs) or IV tPA (7.343 [7.336–7.351] QALYs). Patients receiving CDT had an elevated risk of hemorrhagic stroke in comparison to anticoagulation alone; however, patients treated with anticoagulation alone were more likely to experience recurrent PE associated adverse outcomes. Results were stable with sensitivity analyses varying age and sex. Our probabilistic sensitivity analysis assessing joint variance predicts CDT to be the most effective strategy, when measured by mean QALYs, in 98.4% of runs, while systemic thrombolysis was favored over anticoagulation alone 34.4% of the time. The ICER of CDT compared to anticoagulation was $317,042 per QALY gained. Conclusion In our model, for those eligible, CDT results in the largest number of QALYs for patients with intermediate-risk PE, although it is relatively expensive and the absolute difference in QALYs between anticoagulation alone and CDT is small. Future studies that provide data on longitudinal quality-of-life outcomes of patients treated for PE and characteristics of CDT would be beneficial to augment model inputs, inform assumptions, and validate results.
Search and Discovery

In this chapter concerns the discovery of supernovae, including several noteworthy past and active supernova searches, primarily at optical wavelengths. These searches include some that are designed to find supernovae in relatively nearby galaxies; these are the events that are most likely to be discovered days or hours after explosion, to be detected at non-optical wavelengths, to be observed with spectropolarimetry, and to be observed years after explosion. Some searches are designed to discover more distant supernovae in the Hubble flow, where accurate distances can be inferred from redshifts and the Hubble Law. Other searches focus on the discovery of high-redshift supernovae to be used for cosmological applications. In the future, the rate of discovery of nearby supernovae will increase substantially, but within limits imposed by the number of nearby galaxies. The rate of discovery of Hubble-flow and high-redshift events, many in the infrared, will increase tremendously.
Parameterization of the GPR119 Receptor Agonist AR231453

The GPR119 receptor is a class A G protein-coupled receptor expressed mainly in pancreatic beta cells. Since GPR119 receptor activation ameliorates Type 2 Diabetes through an increase in glucose-dependent insulin release, the development of new GPR119 receptor agonists would be worthwhile. A better understanding of the way agonists interact with the receptor would help to design better ligands for the receptor. It also would help to better understand the agonist mechanism of action. An understanding of how agonists interact with the receptor can be acquired using molecular dynamics simulations, which cannot be performed without having force field parameters for the ligand molecule. This study presents the development of CHARMM force field parameters for AR231453, the prototypical first potent and orally available GPR119 agonist, using the Force Field Tool Kit. The parameters are validated through Normal Mode Analysis calculations and molecular dynamics simulations in combination with infrared spectroscopy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isothermal chemical denaturation of large proteins: Path-dependence and irreversibility.

Abstract State functions (e.g., ΔG) are path independent and quantitatively describe the equilibrium states of a thermodynamic system. Isothermal chemical denaturation (ICD) is often used to extrapolate state function parameters for protein unfolding in native buffer conditions. The approach is prudent when the unfolding/refolding processes are path independent and reversible, but may lead to erroneous results if the processes are not reversible. The reversibility was demonstrated in several early studies for smaller proteins, but was assumed in some reports for large proteins with complex structures. In this work, the unfolding/refolding of several proteins were systematically studied using an automated ICD instrument. It is shown that: (i) the apparent unfolding mechanism and conformational stability of large proteins can be denaturant-dependent, (ii) equilibration times for large proteins are non-trivial and may introduce significant error into calculations of ΔG, (iii) fluorescence emission spectroscopy may not correspond to other methods, such as circular dichroism, when used to measure protein unfolding, and (iv) irreversible unfolding and hysteresis can occur in the absence of aggregation. These results suggest that thorough confirmation of the state functions by, for example, performing refolding experiments or using additional denaturants, is needed when quantitatively studying the thermodynamics of protein unfolding using ICD.
Complex Adaptive Behavior of Hybrid Teams

Abstract The challenges in uncertain, dynamic and complex military operation environments exceed the problem-solving capabilities of individuals. Problem-solving has become a team task. These [hybrid] teams, which typically include machine and human elements, utilize autonomy and artificial intelligence to enhance the quality of actionable information and decision-making capabilities in solving complex problems. For this to be effective, shared mental models must be developed by teams. This demands adaptive behavior of team members to establish a common understanding, and its members to respond to the changes in complex dynamic environments. In this paper, we introduce a mathematical formalization of an interaction platform designed to support individuals working in heterogeneous, hybrid teams. The purpose of the platform is to facilitate convergent adaptive behavior and interoperability. Hilbert space is used to provide a mathematical foundation and coherent axiomatic structure. Individual and shared mental models are represented in the form of superposition of vector states in a conceptual space. Hilbert Space allows for the inclusion of phenomena, such as spooky activation, entanglement, or emergence that are representative of complex social dynamics.
Females’ (Non)Disclosure of Minority Sexual Identities in the Workplace From a Communication Privacy Management Perspective

In this study, communication privacy management theory (CPM) provides a theoretical framework for investigating the development of privacy rules and strategies for females disclosing a minority sexual identity (MSI) in the workplace. Analysis of in-depth interviews indicated that participants’ rules were influenced primarily by role and relational risk evaluations. Findings nuance CPM’s conceptualization of role risk to identify 3 variations: risk to employment status, professional image, and ability to complete tasks. In addition, connections between workplace relational and role risks and how gender identities influence risk assessments and disclosure are demonstrated. Despite risk, participants disclosed personal information at work and often did so utilizing implicit disclosure strategies in everyday interactions to test confidants’ reactions and normalize their MSI in the workplace.
Real-Time Pathophysiologic Correlates of Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus in Patients Who Underwent Transesophageal-Guided Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation

Although current guidelines advocate using the CHA2DS2-VASc score to assess the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), compared with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), its ability to predict left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) is limited. We studied 3,324 consecutive patients with sustained AF from our prospective registry of patients who underwent first-time TEE-guided electrical cardioversion (ECV) from May 2000 through March 2012. The association of CHA2DS2-VASc score or TEE risk factors with the occurrence of LAAT was analyzed. The mean (SD) age was 69 (12.5) years and 67% were men. LAAT was identified in 49 (1.5%) during pre-ECV TEE. Compared with patients without LAAT, those with LAAT had lower peak left atrial appendage emptying velocity (LAAEV) (17.2 ± 8.5 vs 36.6 ± 20.8; p <0.001) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (39.9 ± 17.6 vs 51.4 ± 13.7; p <0.001); their CHA2DS2-VASc score also was higher, but the difference was not statistically significant (3.6 ± 1.4 vs 3.2 ± 1.6; p = 0.06). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified an LVEF ≤40% (adjusted odds ratio 2.48, 95% confidence interval 1.38 to 4.46), LAAEV 20.3 to 33.9 cm/s (odds ratio 12.19, 95% confidence interval 1.53 to 96.86), and LAAEV ≤20.2 cm/s as independent predictors of LAAT. An LAAEV cut-point of 20 cm/s and an LVEF ≤40% were optimal for detecting LAAT (sensitivity 75% and 62%; specificity 77% and 75%; area under the curve 0.822 and 0.776, respectively). On follow-up, LAAT was an independent risk factor of subsequent ischemic stroke but did not influence survival. In conclusion, reduced LVEF and reduced LAAEV are important pathophysiologic correlates of left atrial appendage thrombogenesis and subsequent ischemic stroke in patients who underwent TEE-guided ECV for AF.
Organofacies study of the Bakken source rock in North Dakota, USA, based on organic petrology and geochemistry

Abstract Samples taken from the Upper and Lower members of the Bakken Formation in four wells that were drilled in a northeast - southwest trend along the eastern margin of the Williston Basin in central-western North Dakota were investigated in order to present an overview of source-rock quality and depositional environment conditions for the main purpose of establishing an organofacies model. Several techniques such as Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis, X-Ray fluorescence elemental analysis, vitrinite reflectance, organic petrography and visual kerogen assessment using reflected and transmitted white light and UV light microscopy on whole-rock pellets were combined to draw the best possible conclusions. The results indicate that kerogen is mainly marine type II with increasing in maturity towards the central and SW portions of the basin. Detailed organic petrography of the samples showed that solid bitumen, amorphous matrix bituminite, granular bitumen, alginite, acritarchs, and liptodetrinite are the most abundant macerals. In order to properly determine the Bakken organofacies, the original hydrogen index (HIo) was restored using various mathematical models and empirical methods. The mathematically restored HIo from thermally mature samples (HIo-Calculated) was then compared to the HI values from thermally immature samples (Tmax
On-line Estimation of Time-varying Parameters. Application to Biochemical Reactors

Abstract A new approach is presented for the estimation of Darameters variable with time from on-line measurements. The method is based on the adaptive estimation theory (Jazwinski, 1970) and is especially applicable to problems involving biochemical reactors. An example is also presented with an application of the method to the estimation of the culture parameters describing biomass growth in a continuous bioreactor. The good agreement between estimated and true values indicates that the method could be applied for the estimation of parameters such as the specific growth rate, yields, etc., without resorting to models for their determination.
Consumption, Environmentally Significant

The intensification of production and consumption in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has substantially degraded the environment. Because these activities involve countless, interacting incidents, it is not practical to reverse the problems by dealing with each kind of incident in isolation. Instead we require a small number of solution concepts, each of which can govern innumerable individual changes. This approach has proved fruitful for technological options in corporate production situations and may be applicable also to lifestyle and consumption options for household decision-makers. Market researchers have succeeded in describing the tens of millions of US households in terms of only a few dozen lifestyle categories. Consumption behavior reflects lifestyle decisions as well as external constraints such as legislation or public infrastructure. Are people ready to change their lifestyles to reduce environmental degradation rather than only responding passively to initiatives taken by corporate and public-sector executives? Personal and group decision-making in complex situations clearly reflects the interplay of diverse considerations. Social scientists may be able to provide a framework for developing lifestyle and consumption alternatives that are relevant for different categories of households. To match the magnitude of the environmental challenges, the alternatives would need to have wide appeal for their balance of psychological and social considerations as well as economic ones.
Ocular and Adnexal Lymphoma: Molecular Pathology

Molecular pathology of ocular and adnexal lymphomas is a relatively new field. Although aspects of this field such as immunohistochemistry have been used for decades to help in identifying different types of lymphoma, the newly developing field of molecular cytogenetics of ocular lymphomas is still changing at a rapid pace. Several key translocations and genetic aberrations have been identified in conjunction with specific lymphoma types, which have helped to shed further light on the diagnostic field, and at the same time are revealing that much more work needs to be undertaken in order to fully delineate the complex genetic involvement in the development of this group of diseases.
Brain Influx of Endogenous Peptides Affecting Food Intake

As obesity becomes an increasing health problem, there have been an increasing number of endogenous peptides discovered that affect the ingestion of food. Ingestive peptides may exert their actions in the brain, whereas peripheral sources provide a ready reserve. The availability of ingestive peptides to central nervous system targets can be regulated by the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Some of the peptides/polypeptides are transported by saturable mechanisms from blood to brain (e.g., leptin, insulin, mahogany, pancreatic polypeptide) and some enter the brain by passive diffusion (e.g., neuropeptide Y, orexin A, CART, cycloHis–Pro, amylin). Some others may have essentially no penetration of the BBB (e.g., agouti–related protein, melanin–concentrating hormone, urocortin). The regulatory function of the BBB can be seen in various physiological states. Hyperglycemia may upregulate transport systems for leptin, urocortin, and galanin–like peptide, whereas fasting can downregulate those for leptin and galanin–like peptide. Thus, the BBB plays a dynamic role in modulating the passage of ingestive peptides from blood to brain.
Covariance, Correlation, and Linear Regression

The mean value µ = E[X] and the variance Var[X] = E[(X — µ)2] provide important characterizations of the distribution for a single real random variable X. In this chapter, we seek a similar characterization of the joint distribution for a pair (X,Y). We can, of course, determine the mean and variance for each of the marginal distributions. This is important, but shows nothing of the probabilistic ties between X and Y. In view of the success of introducing the mean value and variance as expectations of appropriate functions of the single random variable, it is natural to look to expectations of appropriate functions of the pair. We examine one such function to obtain the covariance and a standardized form of that function to obtain the correlation coefficient.
Oral Habits: Considerations in Management

The authors examine the various "oral habits" to give the pediatrician information on the types of problems one is likely to encounter and on the treatment modalities that are available. The discussion includes bruxism, digit-sucking habits, pacifier-sucking habits, fingernail biting, lip habits, mouth-breathing, and tongue-thrust.
Erectile dysfunction: diagnosis and management with newer oral agents

For centuries, men have been dealing with the issue of impotence. In this article, I review the physiology of erections and the new medications available to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). A number of new drugs are in phase I, II, and III trials. Most of them are similar to the drugs reviewed in this article in that they stimulate the corpus cavernosum or the central nervous system (CNS). In the 1990s and now the 21st century, ED has been defined as the consistent inability to attain and maintain penile erection sufficient to permit satisfactory intercourse. Based on data extrapolated from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, ED affects some 20 million to 30 million American men today, most of them >50 years of age. The Massachusetts Male Aging Study is one of the best epidemiological studies ever done and it is ongoing, with some additional data from it published only recently (1). The original study looked at 1709 men in a suburban Boston community. Although the men studied were fairly homogeneous—mostly white and middle income—the Massachusetts Male Aging Study does provide insight into the incidence of ED among a community of noninstitutionalized men who are not under routine medical care. Overall, 52% of men aged 40 to 70 years had ED: 10% had complete ED; 25%, moderate; and 17%, minimal. The prevalence of ED increased with age (Figure 1). The percentages of ED were much higher—often double—in men who had risk factors such as taking cardiac, antihypertensive, or vasodilator drugs or using tobacco.
Systematic serendipity: a test of unsupervised machine learning as a method for anomaly detection

Advances in astronomy are often driven by serendipitous discoveries. As survey astronomy continues to grow, the size and complexity of astronomical databases will increase, and the ability of astronomers to manually scour data and make such discoveries decreases. In this work, we introduce a machine learning-based method to identify anomalies in large datasets to facilitate such discoveries, and apply this method to long cadence lightcurves from NASA's Kepler Mission. Our method clusters data based on density, identifying anomalies as data that lie outside of dense regions. This work serves as a proof-of-concept case study and we test our method on four quarters of the Kepler long cadence lightcurves. We use Kepler's most notorious anomaly, Boyajian's Star (KIC 8462852), as a rare `ground truth' for testing outlier identification to verify that objects of genuine scientific interest are included among the identified anomalies. We evaluate the method's ability to identify known anomalies by identifying unusual behavior in Boyajian's Star, we report the full list of identified anomalies for these quarters, and present a sample subset of identified outliers that includes unusual phenomena, objects that are rare in the Kepler field, and data artifacts. By identifying <4% of each quarter as outlying data, we demonstrate that this anomaly detection method can create a more targeted approach in searching for rare and novel phenomena.
Polycyclic N-oxides: high performing, low sensitivity energetic materials

Polycyclic N-oxides were developed based on the heterocycles 1,2,4,5-tetrazine and 4H,8H-difurazano[3,4-b:3′,4′-e]pyrazine. The new compounds are energetic and have excellent explosive properties, while maintaining low mechanical sensitivities. Most notably, compound 7 is thermally stable, insensitive, and has superior detonation properties to the state-of-the-art insensitive high explosive, 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene.
Psychological Explanations of How Gender Relates to Perceptions and Outcomes at Trial

Although the American legal system does not statutorily permit differential civil and criminal trial outcomes on the basis of gender, empirical observations of the effects of gender on trial outcomes are ample yet mixed. For several decades, legal actors have attempted to diminish the effects of gender in the courtroom through Supreme Court rulings, presidential policies, legislation, and modification of language in legal documents. Social scientific research suggests that implicit and explicit processes likely affect how the gender of legal actors (e.g., defendants, victims) relates to trial outcomes. This chapter first discusses a variety of laws and policies designed to curtail gender bias generally (e.g., in employment settings) and in the trial process specifically. Next, the chapter synthesizes empirical research that demonstrates the relationship between gender and trial process and outcomes. This synthesis of the psychological research includes specific emphasis on the gender of five primary legal actors: victims, defendants, attorneys, experts, and legal decision-makers. Then, the chapter offers psychological mechanisms that explain why the gender of legal actors (e.g., jurors, witnesses) might relate to trial outcomes. We include overarching theoretical psychological explanations for the observed effects of gender using the symbolic interaction framework and the influence of gender roles and stereotypes. Finally, we identify deficits in the existing research on the relationship between gender and the trial process, suggesting topics for future empirical examination.
Relationship of Postpartum Levels of Cystatin and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Duration of Lactation in Mothers with Previous Gestational Hypertension or Preeclampsia

Abstract Background: Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease in later life. We sought to determine the association between lactation and marke...
Landscape metrics of post-restoration vegetation dynamics in wetland ecosystems

To monitor wetlands at regional scales, it is pivotal to identify metrics that show rapid and predictable responses to restoration interventions. Remote sensing can monitor such metrics at high frequency and low cost but remains underutilized in practice. This study sought to find a set of landscape metrics most responsive to restoration and vegetation dynamics across 11 years and 20 restored wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA. Breakpoint analysis was used to detect phases in the development of vegetated pixels as estimated from the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) derived from Landsat (2004–2017). Landscape metrics were then generated from land cover classifications based on high resolution aerial images from the National Agricultural Inventory Program (NAIP). Using hierarchical clustering, we grouped phases showing similar temporal characteristics. We selected a subset of landscape metrics that best described the spatial structure of vegetation and its dynamics in each phase type. We identified four phases in vegetation development: (1A) rapid increase; (1B) decrease; (2A) low change; (2B) low change with fluctuations. Landscape metrics showed a significant response to vegetation dynamics in our sample, suggesting their potential to expand current monitoring practices at low cost. Young sites and sites experiencing a rapid increase in greenness were characterized by a lower density of small patches, while older sites, reference sites, and low variability sites were characterized by large, clustered patches. Our study demonstrates that open source remote sensing can detect patterns in wetland response to restoration and help identify factors promoting their recovery.
Nivolumab (NIVO) and drug eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (deb-TACE): Preliminary results from a phase I study of patients (pts) with liver limited hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

525Background: Regional therapies in HCC impact the immune microenvironment and may augment the effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods: This is a multicenter phase 1 study of NIVO and deb...
Clinicopathological and radiological characterization of myofibroblastoma of breast: A single institutional case review.

Abstract Myofibroblastoma is a rare type of benign myofibroblastic neoplasm in the breast. It is clinically presented as a well-circumscribed mass, usually small in size (usually less than 4.0 cm), and can mostly be cured by local excision. Rare cases of giant myofibroblastoma greater than 10 cm have been reported, but also follow a benign clinical course. Histologically, breast myofibroblastoma is featured by bland fascicles of spindle cells intermixed with thick hyalinized collagen bundles. Mast cells are frequently found within the stroma. However, a wide spectrum of morphological variants can occur in myofibroblatoma, making its diagnosis challenging sometimes. Differential diagnosis of myofibroblastoma with other spindle cell lesions in the breast, either benign or malignant, is also important in practice. In this study, we collected 15 cases of breast myofibroblastoma diagnosed in our institution during a 20 year period. The sizes of these cases range from 0.4 cm to 35.2 cm (mean is 3.7 cm). To our knowledge, the case of giant breast myofibroblastoma we presented here is the largest one reported to date. The histological examination of the cases show great morphological variations. Besides the classical type, features of cellular, collagenized, palisading, epithelioid, myxoid, myoid, solitary fibrous tumor-like are also identified in the case series. Immunohistochemical staining patterns as well as clinical features of the cases are also summarized and compared. All cases in this study show no recurrence on follow-up. In addition, cases that are important differential diagnosis for breast myofibroblastoma are also studied. Their key histological characteristics are compared with myofibroblastoma, and their immunohistochemical and molecular features are discussed.
The Sexual Orientation/Identity Distinction

In this article I explicate the sexual orientation/identity distinction: sexual orientation is “natural,” involving dispositions to sexual behavior, while sexual identity is the “social meaning” of sexual orientation, and argue that the sexual orientation/identity distinction is indispensable to normative explanations regarding LGBTQIA+ oppression and resistance.
A multisite genomic epidemiology study of Clostridioides difficile infections in the USA supports differential roles of healthcare versus community spread for two common strains.

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhoea. However, it is increasingly appreciated that healthcare-associated infections derive from both community and healthcare environments, and that the primary sites of C. difficile transmission may be strain-dependent. We conducted a multisite genomic epidemiology study to assess differential genomic evidence of healthcare vs community spread for two of the most common C. difficile strains in the USA: sequence type (ST) 1 (associated with ribotype 027) and ST2 (associated with ribotype 014/020). We performed whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses on 382 ST1 and ST2 C. difficile isolates recovered from stool specimens collected during standard clinical care at 3 geographically distinct US medical centres between 2010 and 2017. ST1 and ST2 isolates both displayed some evidence of phylogenetic clustering by study site, but clustering was stronger and more apparent in ST1, consistent with our healthcare-based study more comprehensively sampling local transmission of ST1 compared to ST2 strains. Analyses of pairwise single-nucleotide variant (SNV) distance distributions were also consistent with more evidence of healthcare transmission of ST1 compared to ST2, with 44 % of ST1 isolates being within two SNVs of another isolate from the same geographical collection site compared to 5.5 % of ST2 isolates (P-value=<0.001). Conversely, ST2 isolates were more likely to have close genetic neighbours across disparate geographical sites compared to ST1 isolates, further supporting non-healthcare routes of spread for ST2 and highlighting the potential for misattributing genomic similarity among ST2 isolates to recent healthcare transmission. Finally, we estimated a lower evolutionary rate for the ST2 lineage compared to the ST1 lineage using Bayesian timed phylogenomic analyses, and hypothesize that this may contribute to observed differences in geographical concordance among closely related isolates. Together, these findings suggest that ST1 and ST2, while both common causes of C. difficile infection in hospitals, show differential reliance on community and hospital spread. This conclusion supports the need for strain-specific criteria for interpreting genomic linkages and emphasizes the importance of considering differences in the epidemiology of circulating strains when devising interventions to reduce the burden of C. difficile infections.
The Effect of Solidification Rate on the Formability of Nickel Aluinide Containing Iron and Boron

It has been repcrted that rapid solidification insproves the ductility of certain nickel aluminides. This work. was devised to test whether it gives addittinal improvement in a nickel aluminide containing both Fe and B. Small samples were solidified in free-fall or splat-quenced after free-fall. Their uicrostructure has been characterized, and the results of preliminary tests, which give a quantitative measure of mechanical properties, are discussed.
Hepatic cryosurgery via minilaparotomy in a porcine model: an alternative to open cryosurgery.

Background: Cryosurgery of liver lesions is becoming increasingly accepted for the ablation of liver tumors. Attempts at laparoscopic cryosurgery have been very limited and often need to be converted to open laparotomy due to the complexity of the procedure.
UNREASONABLE DOUBT: WARREN HILL, AEDPA, AND GEORGIA’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL BURDEN OF PROOF

A Georgia state court — and seven experts — held that defendant Warren Hill was intellectually disabled under a preponderance of the evidence standard, yet still sentenced Hill to death. Indeed, Hill’s recent execution was due in substantial part to Georgia’s “preposterous burden of proof” which requires that intellectual disability be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, a standard experts have said is nearly impossible to satisfy. Georgia’s law “effectively limits the constitutional right protected in Atkins [v. Virginia],” and creates a conditional, not categorical, ban, on the execution of intellectually disabled defendants. Neither Atkins nor the Constitution countenance this result, which is antithetical to the “fundamental fairness [that is] essential to the very concept of justice.”Some of the Supreme Court’s current and former members agree. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor acknowledged that, if “statistics are any indication, the system may well be allowing some innocent defendants to be executed.'' Justices Byron White and Potter Stewart stated that the death penalty was “wantonly and freakishly imposed,” while Justice William Brennan famously vowed that he would never affirm a death sentence. Justice Ginsburg flatly stated that “[p]eople who are well represented at trial do not get the death penalty.”Ultimately, Warren Hill’s case is not just about the injustice of executing those who are intellectually disabled. It is a microcosm of the arbitrariness that time has proven to be neither fixable nor consistent with the “evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.” Georgia’s death penalty scheme has already been found unconstitutional once, and its reasonable doubt standard should likewise meet its constitutional demise. If intellectually disabled individuals like Warren Hill continue to be executed, “the reverberations of injustice [will not be] so easily confined,” because the resulting unfairness will be impossible to ignore. As time has proven, the only way to ensure that “death is different” is to bury the death penalty, as the Court once said, “in the graveyard of the forgotten past.”
Revisiting 'The [Social-Cognitive] Nature of Salience': Social-Cognitive Effort Focuses Attention on the 'Next-Most Obvious' Bargaining Compromise -- Equal Shares

Collaborators often invest unequal resources towards a common good. Without agreement on sharing that good, collaboration might devolve into parallel, possibly competitive, individual efforts. Reaching agreement requires bargaining. Before bargaining, collaborators independently decide how much to demand and how little to accept. These decisions constitute a tacit form of bargaining. When collaborators cannot verify a common construal of fairness, tacit agreement on equal shares offers the next-most obvious (least unfair) compromise between conflicting interests. Across two experiments, we show that reasoning to this conclusion requires more social-cognitive effort than people automatically expend. Participants played a card game with an alleged opponent and shared the resulting prize. Social-cognitive practice prior to tacit bargaining increased egalitarian proposals. Experiment 2 ruled out facilitation through general-cognitive effort or improvements in social-reasoning skills. Instead, we found that cognitive perspective-takers minimize unfairness, while affective perspective-takers seek minimal fairness. We discuss the differing implications of these motivations.
Data analysis recipes: Choosing the binning for a histogram

Data points are placed in bins when a histogram is created, but there is always a decision to be made about the number or width of the bins. This decision is often made arbitrarily or subjectively, but it need not be. A jackknife or leave-one-out cross-validation likelihood is defined and employed as a scalar objective function for optimization of the locations and widths of the bins. The objective is justified as being related to the histogram's usefulness for predicting future data. The method works for data or histograms of any dimensionality.
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of blood and tissue epoxide measurements for butadiene

In vitro and in vivo butadiene (BD) metabolism data from laboratory animals were integrated into a rodent physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model with flow- and diffusion-limited compartments. The resulting model describes experimental data from multiple sources under scenarios such as closed chamber inhalation and nose-only flow-through inhalation exposures. Incorporation of diurnal glutathione (GSH) variation allows accurate simulation of GSH changes observed in air control nose-only exposures and BD exposures. An isolated tissue model based on rate parameters determined in vitro predicts the decrease in epoxide concentrations in intact animals during the time lag between exsanguination and tissue removal for tissues capable of epoxide biotransformation, providing a better indication of in vivo dosimetry. Further refinements of the model are required relative to model predictions of an important BD metabolite, diepoxybutane.
A Sensitive Test for Fox Encephalitis Virus

SummaryThe difficulty involved in the study of fox encephalitis because of the highly variable susceptibility of experimental animals to fatal infection has been overcome by the use of methods that produce demonstrable, although not always fatal, infection. Instillation of the virus in the anterior chamber of the eye leads to infection of the eye while intramuscular or subcutaneous injection leads to infection in the regional lymph nodes. Extensive studies on the intraocular method have revealed that it is so uniformly sensitive that accurate virus titrations and neutralization tests can be made. A positive result is manifested by the development of opacity in the cornea, which can be observed grossly and is readily confirmed by the simple technic of demonstrating characteristic inclusion bodies in smears prepared with scrapings from the inner surface of the cornea.
Distributed spectrum assignment for cognitive networks with heterogeneous spectrum opportunities

This paper presents a distributed and localized interference-aware channel assignment framework for multi-radio wireless mesh networks in a cognitive network environment. The availability of multiple interfaces and channels in wireless devices is expected to enhance network throughput in wireless mesh networks. A notable design issue in such networks is how to dynamically assign available channels to multiple radio interfaces for maximizing effective network throughput by minimizing interference. The proposed framework uses a novel interference estimation method by utilizing distributed conflict graphs on a per-interface basis. Presented results obtained via simulation studies in 802.11 based multi-radio mesh networks indicate that for both homogeneous and heterogeneous primary networks, the proposed protocol can facilitate a large increase in network throughput in comparison with a Common Channel Assignment mechanism that is used as a benchmark in the literature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Superconductivity in BiCuSrCaO

Abstract Indications for new phases with superconducting properties are reported in Bi-Cu-Sr-Ca oxides. One of these is a tetragonal compound of approximate composition CaSr2Bi2Cu2Ox with a=b=3.82 A , c=30.7 A . It shows onset of diamagnetism near Ts = 110K. The strength of the signal increases with annealing near the melting temperature ( ≈ 880°C). Titration gives a composition near x = 8.25. Somewhat different structures are obtained at different compositions and heat treatment.
On the mechanism of enzyme action. XLVII. Effects of high intensity electron bombardment on crystalline trypsin.

Summary The effect of ionizing radiations on enzymes in solution is much more complex than on enzymes in the dry state. The radiation dose required to cause a certain amount of inactivation of the enzyme will be as much as 170 times higher in the dry state, than in some dilute solutions. Any intermediate values can be obtained by changing the conditions of the irradiation of the enzymes in solution. The factors influencing the socalled “solvent” effect were found to be: concentration and nature of the buffer solution, pH, and temperature. The inactivating effect of electron bombardment on trypsin is considerably enhanced by increasing the acidity of the enzyme solution. This is in contrast with the maximum stability of this enzyme at pH 2.3 when not exposed to radiation. Calcium ions have no specific effect on the inactivation of trypsin caused by electrons, although, under normal conditions, these ions stabilize the enzyme. It can be concluded, therefore, that factors which contribute toward an increased stability of an enzyme under normal conditions have no correlation with the effects of ionizing radiation on the enzyme.
A digital radiographic artifact: A clinical report

Digital dental radiographic imaging is considered to be as diagnostically accurate as conventional film-based radiography. In addition, many digital radiographic systems offer various image enhancements that may aid in image interpretation. However, neither type of radiographic imaging technique perfectly correlates radiographic diagnoses with clinical findings. Moreover, visual digital enhancements may provide information that is diagnostically misleading. This report presents a completed patient treatment evaluation with both enhanced and unenhanced digital radiography. The outcome suggests that clinicians should be careful with the interpretation of digital radiographic images, as this can potentially result in false-positive diagnoses. (J Prosthet Dent 2010;103:326–329)
Dual f/number optics for third generation FLIR systems

Dual f/number cooled IR optics allow future systems (i.e. 3rd Gen FLIR) to be optimized for each operational mode, while maintaining the same size packages. This permits improved signal-to-noise ratios for search applications while maintaining long ranges for targeting applications. In addition, it enables the optimization of dual band sensor optics (MWIR and LWIR) based on the change of the diffraction limit with wavelength and f/number. In essence, dual f/number optics allow for improvements in either sensitivity or resolution for a given operational mode of a sensor, depending on which is more critical. To make the transition from 2nd Generation systems to 3rd Generation dual f/number systems, both the optics and cold stop require changes. This paper details the concept of dual f/number optics, their design requirements, and the optics related issues that are inherent in their design.