cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radio frequency-hot water dips for postharvest codling moth control in apples

A combination radio frequency-hot water dip method was examined as a potential quarantine treatment against fifth instars of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in apples, Malus sylvestris (L.) var. domestica (Borkh.) Mansf., which were intended for export to Japan. The apples were initially exposed to 27.12-MHz radio frequency energy at 12 kW for 2.75 min and were then submerged in a range of hot water dips (48‐50C) for different durations. Efficacious tests were at 48C for >2 h, at 49C for >50 min and at 50C for >40 min. Fruit quality tests indicated that the best hot water parameters were at 50C for 40 min. Fruit quality after 2 weeks was cultivar dependent where “Fuji” apples tolerated heat treatment better than “Delicious” and “Gala” apples. None of the treated fruits were acceptable after 60 days. Regardless of cultivar, heat treatment resulted in loss of both peel and fresh colors, coupled with reduced firmness and increased external and internal damage.
Biological monitoring of aquatic ecosystems in Italy

In Italy, Ecotoxicology has found a place with the Legislative Decree n. 152 (May 11, 1999), emanated in fulfilment of the Directives 91/271/CEE "urban waste-water treatment" and 91/676/CEE "protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources". This decree in reality goes beyond (actually anticipating the content of the Framework Directive on Water, still under way of elaboration), and charges the Regions with the duty to identify, for all and each water body, the class of quality on the basis of a chemical and biological monitoring and their classification according to the environmental quality objectives. To this aim, for all water bodies (lakes, rivers, groundwater, coastal waters) the ecological, chemical, and environmental status must be assessed by measuring specific parameters. This paper briefly summarises the role of biological monitoring in the classification of waters in five different categories, ranking from High to Foul Environmental status.
Withholding resuscitation: a new approach to prehospital end-of-life decisions.

This study tested the use of new guidelines that allowed emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to withhold resuscitation if a patient had a terminal condition and if the patient, family, or ca...
Nesting points in the sphere

Let G be a graph embedded in the sphere. A k-nest of a point x not in G is a collection C1,....,Ck of disjoint cycles such that for each Ci, the side containing x also contains Cj for each j > i. An embedded graph is k-nested if each point not on the graph has a k-nest. In this paper we examine k-nested maps. We find the minor-minimal k-nested maps small values of k. In particular, we find the obstructions (under the minor order) for the class of planar maps with the property that one face's boundary meets all other face boundaries.
Sexual function measurement and outcomes in cancer survivors and matched controls

Depending on diagnosis, gender, and treatment, as few as 10% or as many as 90% of cancer survivors have reported sexual problems. Inconsistencies and inadequacies in measurement have confounded eff...
The Mutual Fund Scandal and Investor Response

Financial scandals permeate the news. The mutual fund scandal was one of the biggest financial news stories in the early part of the last decade and the largest in the 65-year history of mutual funds. Many fund companies—totaling more than 1,000 funds and $1 trillion in assets—were investigated for late trading and market timing allegations. This study empirically examines the effects of a large-scale scandal on investor behavior, investor reaction, and fund performance. The authors find that although equity funds involved in a scandal performed well before and after the scandal period, these same funds significantly underperformed their peers during the scandal period, even after adjusting for market effects and fund characteristics, and in spite of increasing their own risk profiles. Specifically, funds involved in scandals experienced performance declines of more than 80 basis points per year. This finding suggests the existence of a meaningful and significant “distraction” penalty for fund families, and ultimately investors. Funds involved in scandals experienced a significant reduction in flows that continued during the post-scandal period, averaging nearly 20% of the affected fund’s customer base. The authors attribute this decline in flows to an increase in monitoring costs for investors—a so-called “scandal tax.” Funds involved in investigations that were announced later in the scandal period experienced a much smaller exodus. They also find that retail investment channel flows continued to exit affected funds regardless of post-scandal performance, whereas institutional channel flows returned to funds that performed well post-scandal. Finally, a subsequent reduction in expenses charged to investors was not effective in re-attracting flows to affected funds.
Stable-carbon isotopes and soil organic carbon in wheat under CO2 enrichment

Summary • Stable-carbon isotopic tracers were enlisted in 1996 and 1997 wheat (Triticum aestivum) free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments to detect entry of new C into soil organic carbon (SOC) pools. Any enhanced soil inputs might mitigate rising atmospheric CO2. • The CO2 used to enrich FACE plots (to ambient +190 µmol mol−1) resulted in 13C-depleted wheat relative to ambient plants and the native SOC. To trace new C in control plots C4-plant-derived exotic soils were placed into subplots in high-N FACE and control treatments, and a 13CO2 gas tracer was pulsed to subplots in high-N control replicates. • Under high-N, isotopic mass balance showed 6% (P = 0.003) and 5% (P = 0.04) new C in 0–15-cm and 15–30-cm FACE SOC, respectively, after 2 yr. Results from the C4-soil subplots were ambiguous, but the 13CO2 tracer induced a SOC δ13C increase (P = 0.08) at 15–30 cm in control-high N consistent with 6% new C. • We infer c. 3% year−1 (30–40 g C m−2 yr−1) SOC turnover in surface soils at high-N under both ambient and elevated CO2. The 13CO2-tracer result, however, is less reliable because of lower significance, fewer replicates and heterogeneous isotopic distribution within plants.
The Evolutionary Significance of Biological Templates

In his exciting autobiography, The Double Helix, James Watson cites an old but vague hypothesis about the nature of heredity as follows (p. 127): “The argument went that gene duplication required the formation of a complementary (negative) image where shape was related to the original (positive) surface like a lock to a key. The complementary negative image would then function as the mold (template) for the synthesis of a new positive image.” The remainder of his book tells the story of how he demonstrated that the gene is, in fact, a pair of templates which duplicates its pattern by making a new negative complementary to the existing positive simultaneously with a new positive complementary to the existing negative. The template principle is, therefore, the basis for the transmission of information in biological heredity.
Identifying Patterns in Texts

We discuss a probabilistic graphical model for recognizing patterns in texts. It is derived from the probability function for a sequence of categories given a sequence of symbols under two reasonable conditional independence assumptions and represented by a product of combinations of conditional and marginal probability functions. The novelty of our model is that it has a mathematical representation which is completely different from existing graphical models such as CRFs, HMMs, and MEMMs. Moreover, it can be used for identifying various patterns in texts. Up to now, we have used this model for recognizing NP chunks and senses of a polysemous word in sentences. This model has achieved very promising results on standard data sets. In the future, we will use this model for extracting semantic roles in a sentence.
Impact of SFAS 133 on Speculation and Hedging

The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.133 (SFAS 133) allows firms to apply hedge accounting only to qualified hedges that pass effectiveness tests, and requires that firms evaluate the effectiveness of hedges in every quarter. Unqualified hedges and the ineffective portion of the hedges are required to be marked to market, and the unrealized gains/losses are to be recognized in earnings immediately. It appears that FASB tries to use SFAS 133 to restrain speculation while continuing to encourage effective hedges. This paper, however, shows that the early recognition of unqualified hedges may instead be in favor of motivating speculation. Even in the case where the policy favors motivating hedges, the shareholders' wealth is likely to be worse off. In addition, sometimes the new recognition policy prevents the firms from using financial derivatives, even through the firms used to use financial derivatives for hedging purpose only.
Exoffender Accounts of Successful Reentry from Prison

Reentry research often focuses on those who have recidivated, with little work addressing the experiences of those who successfully reintegrate into their communities. This study examines individual accounts of successful transitions from prison to community in the months and years postrelease. Interview data point to three metanarratives used to make sense of reentry: as reverence, as reunification, and as reconstruction. In different ways, each narrative centers on connections to important others through faith, family, or community. We discuss the legitimacy of the self-narratives offered, and add to a growing body of work exploring reentry via the lens of the exoffender.
Characteristics and Production Costs of U.S. Soybean Farms

The average cost of producing a hundred pounds (cwt) of rice was $6.00 for U.S. producers surveyed in 2000, ranging from about $2 per cwt to more than $10. Producers in the lowest quartile of production costs averaged $3.99 per cwt compared with $8.94 for producers in the highest quartile. Regional differences in production practices, farm characteristics, and growing conditions were major influences on production costs among rice producers. More than half of the low-cost farms were located in the Arkansas Non-Delta, the largest rice region. Most high-cost farms were in California and the Gulf Coast regions. Three-quarters of rice production was concentrated on large and very large farms, categories that included nearly two-thirds of all rice farms, but the link between size of enterprise and production costs for rice is weaker than for other commodities. At the marketing-year average price of $5.61 per hundredweight, 78 percent of rice farms were able to cover operating costs and 43 percent covered both their operating and ownership costs of rice production in 2000. After accounting for Government payments, nearly all rice farms (97 percent) were able to cover operating costs in 2000, and about 84 percent were able to cover both operating and ownership costs.
Geographic Trends in the Plastic Surgery Match

Background The integrated plastic surgery match is among the most competitive residency matches in recent years. Although previous studies have correlated applicant characteristics with successful match outcomes, none have comprehensively investigated the role of geography in the match. This study elucidates regional biases in the match. Methods Plastic surgery residents who matched during 2011-2015 were eligible for study inclusion. Names of residents were obtained from official residency program websites and cross-referenced with data obtained from the Student Doctor Network. For each resident, region of residency program and medical school were compared. Results From 67 programs, 622 residents were identified. Most graduated from US medical schools (97.9%). A total of 94 residents matched at a home institution (15.1%). Half of the residents matched in the same region as their medical school (48.9%). Programs in the South matched the greatest number of residents from the same region (60.8%), whereas West programs matched the least (30.8%, p Conclusions A significant number of residents matched at their home institution. Roughly, half matched at a program in the same region as their medical school. Whether this regional phenomenon stems from applicant or program factors remains unknown. Yet, given the limited number of interviews and the high costs of interviewing, applicants and programs can use these data to help optimize the match process.
The Effects of Interdependent and Independent Priming on Western Participants’ Ability to Perceive Changes in Visual Scenes

The current study examined whether priming interdependent relative to independent self-knowledge would induce different thinking styles among Western participants, and whether this would, in turn, affect the speed of detecting changes in a change-blindness task. Based on predictions from the semantic–procedural interface model, we predicted that participants would attend more to the context following an interdependent self-construal priming manipulation than following an independent self-construal priming manipulation. Sixty individuals were asked to circle the pronouns we/us/our or I/me/my in a paragraph of text. Following this, all participants were shown alternating images in a change-blindness task. Reaction times and accuracy rates at identifying focal and contextual changes were measured. Though our Western participants were faster at identifying changes in focal objects relative to contextual objects, this difference in reaction times was reduced in half for participants who were primed with interd...
A Legal-Historical Analysis of Navigation User Charges

Toll-free use of the nation's inland waterway transportation network is shown to be a political and economic anachronism. The historical development of this free-use policy is traced from the early days of promotion of regional economic development under the legal sanctions of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance. In an age of scarce funds for public works, the toll-free waterway program seems to be an outstanding candidate for application of the "beneficiaries pay" principle. Equity considerations, promotion of efficiency between transport modes, and public investment efficiency consideration suggest that a revision of this policy is timely. A legal analysis concludes that such a revision might be legal in theory but would likely face substantial political opposition in practice.
Whole-brain spectroscopic MRI biomarkers identify infiltrating margins in glioblastoma patients.

BACKGROUND The standard of care for glioblastoma (GBM) is maximal safe resection followed by radiation therapy with chemotherapy. Currently, contrast-enhanced MRI is used to define primary treatment volumes for surgery and radiation therapy. However, enhancement does not identify the tumor entirely, resulting in limited local control. Proton spectroscopic MRI (sMRI), a method reporting endogenous metabolism, may better define the tumor margin. Here, we develop a whole-brain sMRI pipeline and validate sMRI metrics with quantitative measures of tumor infiltration. METHODS Whole-brain sMRI metabolite maps were coregistered with surgical planning MRI and imported into a neuronavigation system to guide tissue sampling in GBM patients receiving 5-aminolevulinic acid fluorescence-guided surgery. Samples were collected from regions with metabolic abnormalities in a biopsy-like fashion before bulk resection. Tissue fluorescence was measured ex vivo using a hand-held spectrometer. Tissue samples were immunostained for Sox2 and analyzed to quantify the density of staining cells using a novel digital pathology image analysis tool. Correlations among sMRI markers, Sox2 density, and ex vivo fluorescence were evaluated. RESULTS Spectroscopic MRI biomarkers exhibit significant correlations with Sox2-positive cell density and ex vivo fluorescence. The choline to N-acetylaspartate ratio showed significant associations with each quantitative marker (Pearson's ρ = 0.82, P < .001 and ρ = 0.36, P < .0001, respectively). Clinically, sMRI metabolic abnormalities predated contrast enhancement at sites of tumor recurrence and exhibited an inverse relationship with progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS As it identifies tumor infiltration and regions at high risk for recurrence, sMRI could complement conventional MRI to improve local control in GBM patients.
Coping with difficult teachers

In conclusion, this article has briefly reviewed the findings of the media management survey and has examined coping strategies. While it is true that the major obstacle to your fulfillment and feeling of well-being and excitement at work may or may not be difficult teachers, work is an evolving interaction between yourself and others. It is probably one of the most important roles in your life. An analysis of your management style and personality traits, along with a caring, understanding attitude toward staff and teachers, can go a long way in facilitating teamwork and an effective school media services program.
Practice expansion. The decision-making process and related strategies

Expansion decisions in a dental practice may involve the addition of equipment and personnel. There is a logical sequence for expansion that necessitates an analytic assessment of practice needs. This article provides methodology for determining the need and strategies for increasing resources. A detailed description of the technique of breakeven analysis is used to illustrate the potential level of profitability derived from the addition of hygienist and associate profit centers. The concept of decreasing idle capacity through the process of space sharing is presented as an option for increasing profitability.
Enzymes of chlorophyll biosynthesis

The enzymes responsible for chlorophyll biosynthesis in plants, algae and cyanobacteria are identified and described, with emphasis on their protein composition and structure, required cofactors, physical and catalytic properties, protein-protein interactions and allosteric modulation of activity. Properties and features of the pathway that enable it to operate in a coordinated way while using unstable and light-sensitive intermediates in potentially hostile biochemical environments are discussed. The evolutionary relationships and possible origins of the chlorophyll biosynthetic enzymes are also discussed.
On the Mixed Binary Representability of Ellipsoidal Regions

Representability results for mixed-integer linear systems play a fundamental role in optimization since they give geometric characterizations of the feasible sets that arise from mixed-integer linear programs. We consider a natural extension of mixed-integer linear systems obtained by adding just one ellipsoidal inequality. The set of points that can be described, possibly using additional variables, by these systems are called ellipsoidal mixed binary representable. In this work, we give geometric conditions that characterize ellipsoidal mixed binary representable sets.
An analytic solution to the coupled pressure–temperature equations for modeling of photoacoustic trace gas sensors

Trace gas sensors have a wide range of applications including air quality monitoring, industrial process control, and medical diagnosis via breath biomarkers. Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy and resonant optothermoacoustic detection are two techniques with several promising advantages. Both methods use a quartz tuning fork and modulated laser source to detect trace gases. To date, these complementary methods have been modeled independently and have not accounted for the damping of the tuning fork in a principled manner. In this paper, we discuss a coupled system of equations derived by Morse and Ingard for the pressure, temperature, and velocity of a fluid, which accounts for both thermal effects and viscous damping, and which can be used to model both types of trace gas sensors simultaneously. As a first step toward the development of a more realistic model of these trace gas sensors, we derive an analytic solution to a pressure–temperature subsystem of the Morse–Ingard equations in the special case of cylindrical symmetry. We solve for the pressure and temperature in an infinitely long cylindrical fluid domain with a source function given by a constant-width Gaussian beam that is aligned with the axis of the cylinder. In addition, we surround this cylinder with an infinitely long annular solid domain, and we couple the pressure and temperature in the fluid domain to the temperature in the solid. We show that the temperature in the solid near the fluid–solid interface can be at least an order of magnitude larger than that computed using a simpler model in which the temperature in the fluid is governed by the heat equation rather than by the Morse–Ingard equations. In addition, we verify that the temperature solution of the coupled system exhibits a thermal boundary layer. These results strongly suggest that for computational modeling of resonant optothermoacoustic detection sensors, the temperature in the fluid should be computed by solving the Morse–Ingard equations rather than the heat equation.
Identification of Mucosa-Invading and Intravascular Bacteria in Feline Small Intestinal Lymphoma.

Persistent bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal mucosa are causally linked to gastric carcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in people and laboratory animals. We examined the relationship of mucosa-associated bacteria to alimentary lymphoma in cats. Intestinal biopsies from 50 cats with alimentary lymphoma (small cell, n = 33; large cell, n = 17) and 38 controls without lymphoma (normal to minimal change on histopathology, n = 18; lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis, n = 20) were evaluated. The number and spatial distribution of bacteria (ie, in luminal cellular debris, villus-associated mucus, adherent to epithelium, mucosal invasion, intravascular, or serosal) were determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization with the eubacterial probe EUB-338. Mucosa-invasive bacteria were more frequently observed in cats with large cell lymphoma (82%, P ≤ .001) than in cats with small cell lymphoma (18%), normal to minimal change on histopathology, and lymphocytic-plasmacytic enterit...
Questioning Points and Percentages: Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in Higher Education.

Despite its growing use at the K–12 level, standards-based grading (alignment of grading to course standards) has been comparatively neglected in higher education. College students are often confro...
Computer simulations of phase field drops on super-hydrophobic surfaces

Abstract We present a novel quasi-Newton continuation procedure that efficiently solves the system of nonlinear equations arising from the discretization of a phase field model for wetting phenomena. We perform a comparative numerical analysis that shows the improved speed of convergence gained with respect to other numerical schemes. Moreover, we discuss the conditions that, on a theoretical level, guarantee the convergence of this method. At each iterative step, a suitable continuation procedure develops and passes to the nonlinear solver an accurate initial guess. Discretization performs through cell-centered finite differences. The resulting system of equations is solved on a composite grid that uses dynamic mesh refinement and multi-grid techniques. The final code achieves three-dimensional, realistic computer experiments comparable to those produced in laboratory settings. This code offers not only new insights into the phenomenology of super-hydrophobicity, but also serves as a reliable predictive tool for the study of hydrophobic surfaces.
FDA Approval Summary: Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Disease Progression on or After Platinum‐Containing Chemotherapy

On August 5, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA injection, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Kenilworth, NJ) for treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Approval was based on the objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DoR) in a cohort of patients in a nonrandomized multi-cohort trial (KEYNOTE-012) that included 174 patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC who had disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Patients received either intravenous pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 200 mg every 3 weeks. ORR was determined by independent review according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1. ORR was 16% (95% confidence interval 11, 22) with a complete response rate of 5%. DoR ranged from 2.4+ months to 27.7+ months. Twenty-three of 28 responding patients (82%) had response durations of ≥6 months. Safety was evaluated in 192 patients with HNSCC receiving at least one dose of pembrolizumab. Frequent (≥2%) serious adverse reactions were pneumonia, dyspnea, confusional state, vomiting, pleural effusion, and respiratory failure. Clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions included pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, adrenal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, skin toxicity, myositis, and thyroid disorders. The benefit-risk profile of pembrolizumab was considered acceptable in this patient population. As a condition of accelerated approval, Merck is required to conduct a confirmatory trial; this trial, KEYNOTE-040, is ongoing. Implications for practice This accelerated approval expands the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved indications for pembrolizumab, providing health care providers with new information regarding pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Pembrolizumab is the first drug to receive approval for treatment of patients with HNSCC since cetuximab was approved for this indication in 2006.
Observing Behavior and Information

Pigeons were allowed to peck either of two side keys to produce (observe) a positive or a negative stimulus on a third, middle key. When pecks to one side key resulted in only the positive stimulus signaling fixed-interval 30 sec, and pecks to the other side key likewise resulted only in the negative stimulus signaling extinction 30 sec, the pigeons pecked the positive stimulus key almost exclusively. Two of three pigeons stopped observing when the positive stimulus never occurred. In a second experiment manipulation of the probability of fixed-interval components had a slight effect on observing responses but a larger effect on fixed-interval rate. These results support the inadequacy of an information account of observing behavior.
Changes in Extratropical Cyclone Precipitation and Associated Processes during the Twenty-First Century over Eastern North America and the Western Atlantic Using a Cyclone-Relative Approach

AbstractThis study investigates the future change in precipitation associated with extratropical cyclones over eastern North America and the western Atlantic during the cool season (November–March) through the twenty-first century. A cyclone-relative approach is applied to 10 models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) in order to isolate precipitation changes for different cyclone intensities and storm life cycle, as well as determine the relevant physical processes associated with these changes. The historical analysis suggests that models with better performance in predicting extratropical cyclones tend to have smaller precipitation errors, and the ensemble mean has a smaller mean absolute error than the individual models. By the late-twenty-first century, the precipitation amount associated with cyclones increases by 5%–25% over the U.S. East Coast, with about 90% of the increase from the relatively strong (<990 hPa) and moderate (990–1005 hPa) cyclones. Meanwhile, the pre...
van der Waals epitaxy: 2D materials and topological insulators

Abstract van der Waals epitaxy (VDWE) is an ideal method for growing 2D materials and topological insulators (TIs) onto a variety of substrates for heterostructure and integrated circuit technologies. The characteristics of VDWE include rotational alignment with the substrate, strain-free growth, and no misfit dislocations despite significant lattice mismatch. Such properties are critical to enable devices which use the unique characteristics of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and TIs. These include defect tolerance, spin-polarized transport, reduced leakage currents, and tunable band gaps. In this review, the growth modes and advantages of VDWE are introduced along with a brief history of the field. Then the most important issues regarding the VDWE of TMDs and TIs in particular are discussed, including grain size control, defect density, doping, rotational alignment, and electronic transport. Finally, we provide an overview of the progress made in recent years along with an outlook to address the remaining issues facing VDWE and these materials.
Effectiveness of varicella vaccine as post-exposure prophylaxis during a varicella outbreak in Shanghai, China

Abstract Objectives Varicella vaccine (VarV) is recommended as effective post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) within 3–5days to control outbreaks. However, the effectiveness of PEP at >5days after exposure and the administration of a second dose to those with a history of one dose prior to exposure have not been fully examined. This study evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of PEP in preventing disease during a varicella outbreak in Shanghai, China in 2013. Methods Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain the students' varicella history, vaccination status, and willingness to receive PEP. One dose of VarV was provided free of charge to eligible students. The VE of PEP was calculated as [1−relative risk (RR)]×100%. Analyses were restricted to grade 8 students, as no students from the other grades or teachers developed varicella during the outbreak. Results Twenty-seven varicella cases were identified, 16 (59%) of which were infected after the PEP campaign. Sixty-five students received one dose of VarV on day 13 or 19 after the index case. Attack rates were 28% (9/32), 16% (15/94), 0% (0/10), and 6% (3/55) among unvaccinated, one-dose Pre-PEP, first dose as PEP, and second dose as PEP recipients, respectively. Cases among second dose as PEP recipients tended to have less fever compared with unvaccinated or one-dose Pre-PEP recipients. Compared with unvaccinated students, the VE of first dose as PEP recipients was 100% and of the second dose as PEP recipients was 60% (95% confidence interval −72% to 91%). Conclusions Post-exposure vaccination should be given as soon as possible after exposure. Nevertheless, vaccination is still recommended even at more than 5days post-exposure to control varicella outbreaks.
A confidence interval analysis of sampling effort, sequencing depth, and taxonomic resolution of fungal community ecology in the era of high-throughput sequencing.

High-throughput sequencing technology has helped microbial community ecologists explore ecological and evolutionary patterns at unprecedented scales. The benefits of a large sample size still typically outweigh that of greater sequencing depths per sample for accurate estimations of ecological inferences. However, excluding or not sequencing rare taxa may mislead the answers to the questions ‘how and why are communities different?’ This study evaluates the confidence intervals of ecological inferences from high-throughput sequencing data of foliar fungal endophytes as case studies through a range of sampling efforts, sequencing depths, and taxonomic resolutions to understand how technical and analytical practices may affect our interpretations. Increasing sampling size reliably decreased confidence intervals across multiple community comparisons. However, the effects of sequencing depths on confidence intervals depended on how rare taxa influenced the dissimilarity estimates among communities and did not significantly decrease confidence intervals for all community comparisons. A comparison of simulated communities under random drift suggests that sequencing depths are important in estimating dissimilarities between microbial communities under neutral selective processes. Confidence interval analyses reveal important biases as well as biological trends in microbial community studies that otherwise may be ignored when communities are only compared for statistically significant differences.
Pomegranate supplementation improves cognitive and functional recovery following ischemic stroke: A randomized trial.

Objectives: We tested whether supplementing with pomegranate polyphenols can enhance cognitive/functional recovery after stroke.Methods: In this parallel, block-randomized clinical trial, we admini...
Feasibility of using the Fitbit Charge HR in validating self-reported exercise diaries in a community setting in patients with heart failure

Background:Use of wrist-worn activity monitors has increased over the past few years; however, the use of the Fitbit® Charge HR (FCHR) in a community setting in patients with heart failure has not been tested.Purpose:The purpose of the study was to assess the feasibility, practicality and acceptability of utilizing the FCHR to validate self-reported exercise diaries and monitor exercise in community dwelling patients with heart failure. Methods: Thirty heart failure patients (12 females and 18 males) aged 64.7 ± 11.5 years were provided with a FCHR. Participants were provided with an exercise routine and for eight weeks, recorded their exercise sessions in self-reported exercise diaries and used the FCHR to record those exercise sessions.Results:Exercise data from the self-reported exercise diaries were validated with data from the FCHR. Participants’ perception and acceptance of using the FCHR was positive. Validation of exercise and physical activity interventions using the FCHR appears feasible and acc...
The Resting Place of Process Theology

Process theology is generally defended in one or more of three ways: In some cases it is proposed as the only coherent and consistent way to satisfy the requirements of a constructive, systematic metaphysics. In other cases it is presented as the only way to avoid the fatal paradoxes inherent in the classical notion of an unchanging God. In still other cases it is urged as the only view compatible with the God of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and the Christian religious experience. The first two considerations quite naturally exercise whatever appeal they have on minds of a certain philosophical bent and background. The third consideration is attractive to a far wider audience. For it seems to rest on a reading of the Scriptures and a lived religious experience shared by large numbers of people with limited philosophical interest or expertise.
MHV-Resistant SJL/J Mice Express a Non-Functional Homolog to the MHV Receptor Glycoprotein

MHV-A59 recognizes a 100–110 K glycoprotein receptor on intestinal and liver plasma membranes. The receptor protein was affinity purified using an antireceptor monoclonal antibody. Purified receptor was sequenced from the 1st to the 15th amino acids. Antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide having this sequence bound to the 110 K receptor from BALB/c intestine and a 58 K fragment of the receptor. SJL/J mice are resistant to MHV-A59 and their plasma membranes were previously shown to lack binding to MHV. However, antipeptide antibody bound to a 105 K protein and a 53 K protein fragment from SJL/J plasma membranes. These SJL/J proteins did not bind MHV or to the blocking monoclonal anti-receptor antibody. Genetic resistance of SJL/J mice to MHV-A59 appears to be due to mutation of the receptor glycoprotein resulting in a molecule that does not bind MHV.
Volume‐Based vs Rate‐Based Enteral Nutrition in the Intensive Care Unit: Impact on Nutrition Delivery and Glycemic Control

BACKGROUND Underfeeding with enteral nutrition (EN) is prevalent in intensive care units (ICUs) and associated with negative outcomes. This study evaluated the impact of volume-based EN (VBEN) vs rate-based EN (RBEN) on delivery of prescribed energy and protein, and glycemic control (GC). METHODS This retrospective study included adult patients who require mechanical ventilation within 48 hours of ICU admission and with an RBEN (n = 85) or VBEN (n = 86) order for ≥3 consecutive days during the first 12 ICU days. RESULTS Patients receiving VBEN, vs RBEN, received more prescribed energy (RBEN, 67.6%; VBEN, 79.6%; P < .001) and protein (RBEN, 68.6%; VBEN, 79.3%; P < .001). Multiple linear regression analyses confirmed VBEN was significantly associated with an 8.9% increase in energy (P = .002) and 7.7% increase in protein (P = .004) received, after adjusting for age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, duration of and initiation day for EN, and ICU admission location. Presence of hyperglycemia (P = .40) and glycemic variability (GV) (P = .99) were not different between the 2 groups. After adjusting for age, body mass index, diabetes history, primary diagnosis, and percent of days receiving corticosteroids, GC outcomes (presence of hyperglycemia, P = .27; GV, P = .67) remained unrelated to EN order type in multivariable regression models. CONCLUSION VBEN, compared with RBEN, was associated with increased energy and protein delivery without adversely affecting GC. These results suggest VBEN is an effective, safe strategy to enhance EN delivery in the ICU.
Primary breast cancer of the vulva with concurrent breast and endometrial cancers: A case report and literature review.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, with 266,120 estimated new cases in 2018 (Siegel et al., 2018). Ectopic breast tissue may be found anywhere along the milk line from the axilla to the vulva, although the exact histogenesis of vulvar mammary glands remains unclear. Cancers of ectopic mammary tissue are extremely rare and present unique challenges in diagnosis and management, especially in the context of concurrent breast cancer. We present a case of mammary-like adenocarcinoma of the vulva in a patient with concurrent breast and endometrial cancers. The diagnostic approach to concurrent breast, endometrial, and vulvar cancers is discussed.
Thermal Analysis of Rare Earth Additions to HY100

This paper discusses the results of a series of experiments on rare earth additions to HY100. Previous work has found little or no refinement to occur with rare earth additions to this alloy. Thermal analysis has been used to provide a better understanding of this and assist in the development of a suitable grain refiner. Heats of HY100 were melted in an induction furnace and tapped into a small hand ladle. Thermal analysis cups were poured from the ladle, and the resulting cooling data recorded. Heats with no additions and 0.3 wt.% rare earth silicide were poured. Commercial software analyzed the cooling curves to determine the liquidus and solidus temperatures. A manual analysis was employed for identifying the peritectic and other reactions. Examination of the cooling curves detected the liquidus, solidus and even peritectic reactions. It was observed that the solidification changed with the rare earth silicide or engineered grain refiner additions. Additional phase reactions appeared before the solidus were not present in the baseline heat. Phase identification was done with thermodynamic calculations. The solidus, peritectic and liquidus were found. Rare earth inclusions were observed in the microstructure of the treated steel. Interestingly, macrostructure examination indicated no reduction in overall grain size. Thermodynamic predictions also indicated that the inclusions formed late during solidification. It was postulated that the additions caused a change in solidification but those occurred late enough during freezing that the resulting microstructure was not affected.
Silicon Nitride Ring Resonators with 0.123 dB/m Loss and Q-Factors of 216 Million for Nonlinear Optical Applications

Low-loss optical resonators fabricated in chip-scale waveguides are of great interest to a wide range of technologies [1]-[4]. Notably, low-loss silicon nitride ring resonators have been demonstrated to function as optical gyroscopes [5]. Virtually all applications of optical resonators benefit from the minimization of propagation loss. Previous analyses of ultralow loss silicon nitride ring resonators have attributed a majority of propagation loss to absorption and sidewall scattering, but here we present new resonators which yield a record-low loss of 0.123 dB/m at an optical wavelength of 1563 nm, and near-infrared images of these resonators indicate that loss is heavily impacted by the presence of randomly positioned scattering elements incorporated into the structure during fabrication.
Minimal Time Control of Nonlinear Systems: Optimal Robust State-Feedback

Abstract Optimal robust state-feedback controllers for minimal-time control of nonlinear systems are developed under constraints on the input and output signal amplitudes of the controlled system. Simple to design and implement controllers that approximate optimal performance are presented.
Parent and Teacher Perspectives on Factors Decreasing Participation in School-Based Vision Programs.

Purpose: To examine factors decreasing participation in school-based vision programs from parent and teacher perspectives.Methods: We conducted 41 semi-structured focus groups (20 parent groups, 21...
Mixed-methods Study of Integration of Housing and Medical Data Systems for Enhanced Service Coordination of People with HIV:

IntroductionHousing is a determinant of HIV-related medical outcomes. Care coordination has been successfully used to treat patients with HIV and can be improved through electronic exchange of pati...
Iron binding and release properties of transferrin-1 from Drosophila melanogaster and Manduca sexta: Implications for insect iron homeostasis.

Abstract Transferrins belong to an ancient family of extracellular proteins. The best-characterized transferrins are mammalian proteins that function in iron sequestration or iron transport; they accomplish these functions by having a high-affinity iron-binding site in each of their two homologous lobes. Insect hemolymph transferrins (Tsf1s) also function in iron sequestration and transport; however, sequence-based predictions of their iron-binding residues have suggested that most Tsf1s have a single, lower-affinity iron-binding site. To reconcile the apparent contradiction between the known physiological functions and predicted biochemical properties of Tsf1s, we purified and characterized the iron-binding properties of Drosophila melanogaster Tsf1 (DmTsf1), Manduca sexta Tsf1 (MsTsf1), and the amino-lobe of DmTsf1 (DmTsf1N). Using UV–Vis spectroscopy, we found that these proteins bind iron, but they exhibit shifts in their spectra compared to mammalian transferrins. Through equilibrium dialysis experiments, we determined that DmTsf1 and MsTsf1 bind only one ferric ion; their affinity for iron is high (log K’ = 18), but less than that of the well-characterized mammalian transferrins (log K’ ~ 20); and they release iron under moderately acidic conditions (pH50 = 5.5). Iron release analysis of DmTsf1N suggested that iron binding in the amino-lobe is stabilized by the carboxyl-lobe. These findings will be critical for elucidating the mechanisms of Tsf1 function in iron sequestration and transport in insects.
Assimilation and Time

In this chapter Johns explains how our notion of time and space creates a one-dimensional mode of access into the world and its objects. Johns argues that the way we perceive the world is tautological, just like how we perceive and classify singular objects. It is the withdrawn relations of objects—withdrawn from experience and the present—that Johns is primarily interested in here. Johns describes how objects transform over time and place in order to disclose and exemplify the possible withdrawn relations within the object.
Giant Magnetocaloric Response Induced by Tuning the Intrinsic Exchange Field in the Alloys With Random Magnetic Anisotropy Under a Constant Magnetic Field

The use of a limited magnetic field strength to induce a giant magnetocaloric response is desired towards the potential magnetic refrigeration applications. A method to lower the external magnetic field through taking advantage of the exchange field gradient in the alloys with different component ratios and random magnetic anisotropy under a constant magnetic field is conceived, where the conventional thermodynamic Maxwell formula is modified by replacing the external magnetic field by internal exchange field to calculate magnetic entropy change. The Ni46Co3Mn37-x CuxIn14 (x=0, 1, 2, 3, at.%) alloys are fabricated, and with increasing x, the martensitic transformation temperature increases towards room temperature, meanwhile, the ferromagnetism is weakened and the Curie temperature decreases down to room temperature. Under a constant magnetic field of 1.5 T, it is calculated that an exchange field variation of 1 T can induce a giant positive magnetic entropy change of ~14 J kg-1K-1 near the martensitic transformation and a high relative cooling power ~110 J kg-1 near the paramagnetic-to-ferromagnetic phase transition. Other features of this magnetocaloric effect include that it is weakened under stronger magnetic fields and the relative cooling power is independent of magnetic field. The Monte Carlo simulation is also performed to fit the magnetization and magnetic entropy change behaviors near the magnetic phase transition, and the exchange energy in alloys are quantified from 1.438×10-22 to 1.290×10-22 J with the x variation from 0 to 1 through fitting the linear relative cooling power results. This work not only opens a new avenue to develop a household magnetic refrigerant with low external stimuli and high signal-to-noise ratio, but also provides a method to quantify the intrinsic magnetic parameters using magnetocaloric effect.