cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crystal Structure of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis dUTPase: Insights into the Catalytic Mechanism

The structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis dUTP nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase) has been determined at 1.3 Angstrom resolution in complex with magnesium ion and the non-hydrolyzable substrate analog, alpha,beta-imido dUTP. dUTPase is an enzyme essential for depleting potentially toxic concentrations of dUTP in the cell. Given the importance of its biological role, it has been proposed that inhibiting M.tuberculosis dUTPase might be an effective means to treat tuberculosis infection in humans. The crystal structure presented here offers some insight into the potential for designing a specific inhibitor of the M.tuberculosis dUTPase enzyme. The structure also offers new insights into the mechanism of dUTP hydrolysis by providing an accurate representation of the enzyme-substrate complex in which both the metal ion and dUTP analog are included. The structure suggests that inclusion of a magnesium ion is important for stabilizing the position of the alpha-phosphorus for an in-line nucleophilic attack. In the absence of magnesium, the alpha-phosphate of dUTP can have either of the two positions which differ by 4.5 Angstrom. A transiently ordered C-terminal loop further assists catalysis by shielding the general base, Asp83, from solvent thus elevating its pK(a) so that it might in turn activate a tightly bound water molecule for nucleophilic attack. The metal ion coordinates alpha, beta, and gamma phosphate groups with tridentate geometry identical with that observed in the crystal structure of DNA polymerase beta complexed with magnesium and dNTP analog, revealing some common features in catalytic mechanism.
Conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to 7-ketocholesterol is catalyzed by human cytochrome P450 7A1 and occurs by direct oxidation without an epoxide intermediate.

7-Ketocholesterol is a bioactive sterol, a potent competitive inhibitor of cytochrome P450 7A1, and toxic in liver cells. Multiple origins of this compound have been identified, with cholesterol being the presumed precursor. Although routes for formation of the 7-keto compound from cholesterol have been established, we found that 7-dehydrocholesterol (the immediate precursor of cholesterol) is oxidized by P450 7A1 to 7-ketocholesterol (kcat/Km = 3 × 104 m−1 s−1). P450 7A1 converted lathosterol (Δ5-dihydro-7-dehydrocholesterol) to a mixture of the 7-keto and 7α,8α-epoxide products (∼1:2 ratio), with the epoxide not rearranging to the ketone. The oxidation of 7-dehydrocholesterol occured with predominant formation of 7-ketocholesterol and with the 7α,8α-epoxide as only a minor product; the synthesized epoxide was stable in the presence of P450 7A1. The mechanism of 7-dehydrocholesterol oxidation to 7-ketocholesterol is proposed to involve a FeIII-O-C-C+ intermediate and a 7,8-hydride shift or an alternative closing to yield the epoxide (Liebler, D. C., and Guengerich, F. P. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 5482–5489). Accordingly, reaction of P450 7A1 with 7-[2H1]dehydrocholesterol yielded complete migration of deuterium in the product 7-ketocholesterol. The finding that 7-dehydrocholesterol is a precursor of 7-ketocholesterol has relevance to an inborn error of metabolism known as Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) caused by defective cholesterol biosynthesis. Mutations within the gene encoding 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase, the last enzyme in the pathway, lead to the accumulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol in tissues and fluids of SLOS patients. Our findings suggest that 7-ketocholesterol levels may also be elevated in SLOS tissue and fluids as a result of P450 7A1 oxidation of 7-dehydrocholesterol.
Polymer Stabilized VA Mode Liquid Crystal Display

We used a polymer network to improve the response time of a vertical aligned (VA) mode liquid crystal display (LCD). The polymer network was anisotropic and was oriented in the same direction as the liquid crystal in the dark state. We studied the effect of pretilt angle and polymer concentration and measured the transmittance as well as scattering. With the polymer network, the turn-off time of VA-LCD significantly improved while the contrast ratio remained high.
Reaping Dividends from a Personal Investment in Politics: The Link between Campaign Activism, Election Outcomes, and Political Efficacy

Previous research has found that voting for a winning candidate increases one’s sense of external political efficacy (the sense that government is responsive to one’s needs). But little is known about the relationship between other forms of political activism on behalf of a winning candidate and internal efficacy (the sense that one can have an effect on politics). This research seeks to address that gap in the literature by proposing and testing an investment theory of internal political efficacy. As one’s personal investment in a candidate increases, the dividends from supporting a winning candidate also rise in the form of a stronger sense of internal political efficacy. Political scientists have speculated that internal efficacy is psychologically grounded in an individual’s self-esteem and ego, and is therefore relatively stable and difficult to alter. External efficacy, on the other hand, is rooted in one’s views about the responsiveness of government, and is therefore more likely to vary based on election outcomes. I hypothesize that forms of campaign activity that require a greater investment of oneself, such as volunteering for a campaign, attending a political event or events, or urging others to support a candidate, are more likely to achieve the difficult task of increasing one’s sense of internal efficacy when a voter’s preferred candidate wins. Activities that require less of a personal investment, such as voting for or donating money to a winning candidate, are less likely to alter one’s feelings of internal efficacy. I test these hypotheses using a panel survey of 518 Massachusetts voters interviewed before and after the November 2010 election for governor. Controlling for existing levels of internal efficacy before the election, I find that high-investment activities are associated with increased levels of internal efficacy after the election. I also find that this is true for supporters of winning and losing candidates, suggesting that it is participation, and not the outcome, that makes the difference. Still, these results suggest that one’s sense of internal efficacy is less fixed than previously thought, and that internal efficacy may be subject to change under certain circumstances.
Using Multiple Cause-of-Death Data to Investigate Associations and Causality between Conditions Listed on the Death Certificate

Death rarely results from only one cause, and it can be caused by a variety of factors. Multiple cause-of-death data files can list as many as 20 contributing causes of death in addition to the reported underlying cause of death. Analysis of multiple cause-of-death data can provide information on associations between causes of death, revealing common combinations of events or conditions which lead to death. Additionally, physicians report the causal train of events through which they believe that different conditions or events may have led to each other and ultimately caused death. In this paper, the authors discuss methods used in studying associations between reported causes of death and in investigating commonly reported causal pathways between events or conditions listed on the death certificate.
Response Modality Affects Human Infant Delayed‐Response Performance

Delayed response performance was assessed in 120 7-, 9-, and 11-month-old infants with correct response defined as either retrieval of a hidden object or gaze toward the location where the object was hidden. Performance improved with age, was above chance for each age group in each condition, and was more often correct with the gaze response. When direction of gaze and reach differed, direction of gaze was more likely to be correct. Infants in the reach condition were more likely to fail to reverse a previously correct response (i.e., to make the A-not-B error). Perseverative responding occurred frequently and was more likely in the reach than the gaze condition. This effect emerged primarily in the context of an incorrect response, which suggests modality-specific sensitivity to the effect of priming rather than reinforcement. Many infants showed strong side biases, and there was a tendency for more reaches to the left but gazes to the right. In a second experiment, 12 5-month-olds gazed toward the correct location more frequently than would be expected by chance but failed to reverse a previously correct response more often than older infants. These findings indicate that response modality has a significant effect on delayed-response performance.
Mechanical properties of single hyaluronan molecules.

Abstract Hyaluronan (HA) is a major component of the extracellular matrix. It plays an important role in the mechanical functions of the extracellular matrix and stabilization of cells. Currently, its mechanical properties have been investigated only at the gross level. In this study, the mechanical properties of single HA molecules were directly measured with an optical tweezer technique, yielding a persistence length of 4.5±1.2 nm. This information may help us to understand the mechanical roles in the extracellular matrix infrastructure, cell attachment, and to design tissue engineering and drug delivery systems where the mechanical functions of HA are essential.
Current concepts and future directions in the diagnosis and management of lymphatic vascular disease

Despite the central, complex role for the lymphatic system in the maintenance of human health, the biology of this important and complex vasculature has been relatively under-investigated. However, the last decade has witnessed a substantial growth in the elucidation of lymphatic structural biology and the function of this system in health and in disease. These newly gained insights can be used to formulate our evolving concepts about the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to patients with lymphatic vascular disorders. In lymphedema, there is a spectrum of disease that extends from primary (heritable) to secondary (acquired) causes. Once detected, the presence of lymphatic edema mandates very specific modalities of intervention, predominated by physiotherapeutic techniques. In addition, a physiological basis for adjunctive, intermittent pneumatic compression has been established, and these modalities may be indicated in selected patient populations. The acknowledgement of a unique biology in lymphatic edemas is, increasingly, guiding research efforts within this field. Increasing investigative attention is being directed toward animal models of lymphatic vascular disease. As insight into the complex biology of the lymphatic vasculature continues to expand through focused biomedical investigation, the translation of these mechanistic insights into targeted, rationally conceived therapeutics will become increasingly feasible.
A Hilbert space approach to maximum entropy reconstruction

We examine here the problem of reconstructing an X-ray attenuation function from measurements of its integrals. The approach that is taken is to maximize the difference of the entropy and the residual error in meeting the measurements. The solution of this optimization problem is constrained by requiring that the solution lie in a certain weakly compact subset of L2, to be determined by physical information. We show that the constrained optimization problem is well-posed: there exists a unique solution (even when the measured data are inconsistent) and the solution depends continuously on the measurements. In the course of proving this, we show that the entropy functional is continuous on L2. We further demonstrate that the solution of the optimization problem for a special case, must be piecewise constant.
Ontogeny of ingestive behavior.

Review of the ontogeny of the controls of independent ingestion reveals that some of the direct and indirect controls of meal size identified in adult rats function in the first three postnatal weeks. The controls appear sequentially and some of them change their potency after they emerge. Indirect controls exerted by metabolism and adiposity do not emerge until the fourth postnatal week or later in the postweaning period. Recent experiments in rats with monogenic obesities involving the leptin and cholecystokinin receptors have demonstrated the usefulness of independent ingestion in the detection of the earliest expression of hyperphagia. Although much remains to be learned about the normal controls of independent ingestion, it is clear that it provides relevant information about the development of normal and abnormal controls of meal size in rodents that is useful for translational research into the controls of meal size in normal and obese children. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 48: 345–359, 2006.
Nonlinear Set Membership time series prediction of breathing

In radiation therapy, tumor motion induced by patient's respiration may lead to significant differences between the planned and delivered radiation dose. Compensating for tumor motion is therefore crucial for accurate and efficient treatment. The focus of the presented research is on real-time tumor tracking, due to its potential to overcome the limitations of other approaches, such as margin expansion, breath-holding, and gating. A real challenge in tumor tracking is the presence of delays in the treatment system. Prediction of tumor displacement is then necessary to overcome such delays. In this paper, we propose a method for the prediction of breathing signals based on a Nonlinear Set Membership (NSM) algorithm. The algorithm does not require the choice of a predefined functional form for the prediction model, and addresses the issue of measurement noise with minimal assumptions on its statistical properties. The NSM method was tested on nine clinical signals and its performance compared favorably with reported results as well as an optimized nonlinear neural network predictor.
Solution strategies for two- and three-dimensional electromagnetic inverse problems

We analyse a variety of solution strategies for nonlinear two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic (EM) inverse problems. To impose a realistic parameterization on the problem, the finite-difference equations arising from Maxwell equations are employed in the forward problem. Krylov subspace methods are then used to solve the resulting linear systems. Because of the efficiencies of the Krylov methods, they are used as the computational kernel for solving 2D and 3D inverse problems, where multiple solutions of the forward problem are required. We derive relations for computing the full Hessian matrix and functional gradient that are needed for computing the model update, via the Newton iteration. Different strategies are then discussed for economically carrying out the Newton iteration for 2D and 3D problems, including the incorporation of constraints necessary to stabilize the inversion process. Two case histories utilizing EM inversion are presented. These include inversion of cross-well data for monitoring electrical conductivity changes arising from an enhanced oil recovery project and the usefulness of cross-well EM methods to characterize the transport pathways for contaminants in the subsurface.
Cooperative Interactions of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Nef, AP-2, and CD3-ζ Mediate the Selective Induction of T-Cell Receptor-CD3 Endocytosis

The Nef proteins of human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) bind the AP-1 and AP-2 clathrin adaptors to downmodulate the expression of CD4 and CD28 by recruiting them to sites of AP-2 clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Additionally, SIV Nef directly binds the CD3-zeta subunit of the CD3 complex and downmodulates the T-cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 complex. We report here that SIV mac239 Nef induces the endocytosis of TCR-CD3 in Jurkat T cells. SIV Nef also induces the endocytosis of a chimeric CD8-CD3-zeta protein containing only the CD3-zeta cytoplasmic domain (8-zeta), in the absence of other CD3 subunits. Thus, the interaction of SIV Nef with CD3-zeta likely mediates the induction of TCR-CD3 endocytosis. In cells expressing SIV Nef and 8-zeta, both proteins colocalize with AP-2, indicating that Nef induces 8-zeta internalization via this pathway. Surprisingly, deletion of constitutively strong AP-2 binding determinants (CAIDs) in SIV Nef had little effect on its ability to induce TCR-CD3, or 8-zeta endocytosis, even though these determinants are required for the induction of CD4 and CD28 endocytosis via this pathway. Fluorescent microscopic analyses revealed that while neither the mutant SIV Nef protein nor 8-zeta colocalized with AP-2 when expressed independently, both proteins colocalized with AP-2 when coexpressed. In vitro binding studies using recombinant SIV Nef proteins lacking CAIDs and recombinant CD3-zeta cytoplasmic domain demonstrated that SIV Nef and CD3-zeta cooperate to bind AP-2 via a novel interaction. The fact that Nef uses distinct AP-2 interaction surfaces to recruit specific membrane receptors demonstrates how Nef independently selects distinct types of target receptors and recruits them to AP-2 for endocytosis.
Qualitative theory for dynamical systems with saturation nonlinearities

The authors consider general dynamical systems formed from linear dynamics, but with provisions for the control variables to be bounded and for the state variables and output variables to go into saturation. Such systems are, for example, common in digital filters and in hybrid digital feedback control strategies. Building upon results from the theory of neural networks, they recast the problem as a collection of linear, reduced order systems with linear constraints and make precise the meaning of solutions including the various saturation modes. In addition, the existence and qualitative properties of equilibria in the various regions of the state space are discussed. When compared with classical analyses of these issues, the results are surprisingly sharp and simple. They appear to be an example of a situation in which an algebraic approach has pointed the way into a nonlinear problem area. >
Fire and the evolution of steep, soil-mantled landscapes

Recent burns in the western United States attest to the signif- icant geomorphic impact of fire in mountainous landscapes, yet we lack the ability to predict and interpret fire-related erosion over millennial time scales. A diverse set of geomorphic processes is often invoked following fire; the magnitude of postfire erosional processes coupled with temporal variations in fire frequency dic- tate the extent to which fires affect sediment production and land- scape evolution. In the Oregon Coast Range, several models for long-term rates of soil production and transport have been tested and calibrated, although treatment of fire-related processes has been limited. Following recent fires in the Oregon Coast Range, we observed extensive colluvial transport via dry ravel, localized bed- rock emergence due to excess transport, and talus-like accumula- tion in adjacent low-order valleys. Soils exhibited extreme but dis- continuous hydrophobicity, and no evidence for rilling or gullying was observed. Using a field-based data set for fire-induced dry rav- el transport, we calibrated a physically based transport model that indicates that soil flux varies nonlinearly with gradient. The post- fire critical gradient (1.03), which governs the slope at which flux increases rapidly, is lower than the previously estimated long-term value (1.27), reflecting the reduction of slope roughness from in- cineration of vegetation. By using a high-resolution topographic data set generated via airborne-laser swath mapping, we modeled the spatial pattern of postfire and long-term erosion rates. Postfire erosion rates exceed long-term rates (which average 0.1 mm·yr 21 ) by a factor of six, and subtle topographic variations generated local patches of rapid postfire erosion, commonly.1 mm·yr 21 . Our sim- ulations indicate that fire-related processes may account for ;50% of temporally averaged sediment production on steep hillslopes. Our analysis provides a mechanistic explanation for the coincident early Holocene timing of increased fire frequency and regional ag- gradation in Oregon Coast Range drainage basins. Given the sen- sitivity of steep hillslopes to fire-driven transport, changes in cli- mate and fire frequency may affect soil resources by perturbing the balance between soil transport and production.
US Foundations and Racial Reasoning in Brazil

This article examines the role played by US foundations in shaping the academic field of race relations and a black social movement in Brazil. It takes issue with Pierre Bourdieu and Loic Wacquant's assertion that US foundations use their power to impose a US model on understanding race in Brazil. Their analysis exaggerates the power of US foundations in Brazil, fails to understand how programming decisions are made within the foundations, greatly underestimates the intellectual agency of the Brazilian academy and its black social movement, and reveals a rather dated understanding of the academic literature and public opinion on race in Brazil. The author relies on information gleaned from his former position as a Program Officer of the Ford Foundation in Rio de Janeiro and as a researcher of Brazilian race relations.
Inferences of others' competence reduces anticipation of pain when under threat

On a daily basis, we place our lives in the hands of strangers. From dentists to pilots, we make inferences about their competence to perform their jobs and consequently to keep us from harm. Here we explore whether the perceived competence of others can alter one's anticipation of pain. In two studies, participants Receivers believed their chances of experiencing an aversive stimulus were directly dependent on the performance of another person Players. We predicted that perceiving the Players as highly competent would reduce Receivers' anxiety when anticipating the possibility of an electric shock. Results confirmed that high competence ratings consistently corresponded with lower reported anxiety, and complementary fMRI data showed that increased competence perception was further expressed as decreased activity in the bilateral posterior insula, a region localized to actual pain stimulation. These studies suggest that inferences of competence act as predictors of protection and reduce the expectation of negative outcomes.
How mosquitoes see traps: role of visual responses

The visual responses of female mosquitoes during appetitive and attraction flights to conspicuous features of their environment were reviewed. These studies showed for both flights long-range orientation (positive) could be followed by a short-range response (negative) to avoid the goal. In conjunction with the optomotor anemotactic response, appetitive flights are controlled by visual orientation toward more or less distant targets, which permits females to make a wider search than upwind flight along could accomplish. Most attraction flights are controlled primarily by visual and olfactory cues. The influence of visual targets upon mosquito flight behavior and the effect of this behavior upon trap catches is discussed.
The Drying of Fibrous Materials

This paper explains the drying processes for textile and other porous fibrous materials. The various types of heating methods typically employed for drying fibrous materials are described. Procedures for analyzing the drying process by the external approach and by the internal approach are discussed. A review of the most significant published literature in the field of drying of fibrous materials is presented.
White matter abnormalities in blast mild traumatic brain injury in the military

ABSTRACTMild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been labeled the “signature injury” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and approximately half of mTBIs that occur in combat are due to explosive blasts. The rapid change in pressure that results from an explosion may make blast injury distinct from mTBI due to other causes. Persistent symptoms following blast mTBI may be related to white matter damage that has recently been identified using innovative neuroimaging techniques, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). By comparing the DTI findings in blast mTBI to studies of the effects of white matter structure on functional performance, hypotheses can be developed about the implications of the injury for engagement in occupation. Incorporation of neuroscience evidence about the effects of blast mTBI may provide objective evidence of underlying damage that correlates with deficits in occupational engagement of military service members and veterans who are affected by these injuries.
Development and Bioassay of Molded Polyvinyl Chloride Substrates for Dispensing Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Sex Pheromone Bait Formulations

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) substrates molded in forms shaped as rods, thin blocks, and surrogate moths were developed to release Heliothis virescens sex pheromone. Bioassays of various colors of the PVC substrate impregnated with pheromone components run in central and south Texas showed that black molded baits were most effective. Formulation of the pheromone components in the black PVC substrate prolonged the attractiveness and efficiency of these baits compared with those of other colors and laminated plastic dispensers. Bioassays showed that 6 µl of V-2 (Z-11-hexadecenal:Z-9-tetradecenal [14.6:1]), incorporated in the black PVC block- or surrogate moth-shaped dispensers performed best for 2-wk periods compared with three other pheromone blends composed of four additional components. Dissipation rate of the V-2 components from the black PVC substrate was regulated at a highly consistent rate, and the initial emission ratio of the two compounds was more precisely maintained than that emitted from laminated plastic dispensers. Techniques were developed to produce black PVC V-2 dispensers cut from thin, polymerized vinyl chloride sheets at the rate of 690 baits per hour. High production rate and product consistency in the quality of the PVC dispensers were assured by the simplicity of fabrication methods developed.
Twelve Years in the Life of Airline Websites

Perhaps no innovation in history has affected marketing management as pervasively as has the advent of e-commerce. This revolutionary new channel has required businesses to acquire an entirely new ...
Sexting It Up

For children and adolescents in the contemporary moment, the eroticism of technology is intuitive and unremarkable. The growing ubiquity of cell-phone and computer technology makes media crucial for relationships and status among peers. Children and adolescents also seek sexual education and interactions via cyber communication. In this social milieu, the phenomenon of sexting has dominated public discourse and engendered a widespread moral panic of regulation and proselytism. Yet children and teenagers view sexting in terms of intimacy and safe sex; for them, sexted images are avatars affording them liberties otherwise inaccessible to them. I use Julia Kristeva’s notion of abjection to examine the symbolic annihilation of children’s sexuality in most societies and the consequent appeal of the taboo in the sexted image. But I also note the potential harms when sexted images enter public space: the sexuality of children is fraught with danger in the adult world.
Observations on risks, the social sciences, and unconventional hydrocarbons

Abstract The activities employed in the development of unconventional hydrocarbon resources have been accompanied with health and environmental damages. To address the risks and damages from these activities, social scientists are probing probabilities of harm, estimating damages, and evaluating the ability of governmental regulators to arrest conduct causing damages. This lead article for a special issue on “Risks, the Social Sciences, and Unconventional Hydrocarbons” summarizes twenty papers to offer insights for developing policies to address future unconventional hydrocarbon development. Although economic, cultural, and political distinctions mean that people in different countries have diverse expectations on how their government should regulate energy development, the experiences reported by the papers of this special issue suggest that appropriate technology and governmental oversight can minimize adverse effects. Future research on the application and incorporation of ideas and knowledge into decisions and activities present challenges that call for innovative social science research to assist policy makers in meeting the challenges presented by the world's need for energy resources.
Accelerating Large-Scale Statistical Computation With the GOEM Algorithm

ABSTRACTLarge-scale data analysis problems have become increasingly common across many disciplines. While large volume of data offers more statistical power, it also brings computational challenges. The orthogonalizing expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm by Xiong et al. is an efficient method to deal with large-scale least-square problems from a design point of view. In this article, we propose a reformulation and generalization of the orthogonalizing EM algorithm. Computational complexity and convergence guarantees are established. The reformulation of the orthogonalizing EM algorithm leads to a reduction in computational complexity for least-square problems and penalized least-square problems. The reformulation, named the GOEM (generalized orthogonalizing EM) algorithm, can incorporate a wide variety of convex and nonconvex penalties, including the lasso, group lasso, and minimax concave penalty penalties. The GOEM algorithm is further extended to a wider class of models including generalized linear...
Point-of-Care Clinical Guide: Gallbladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer is an uncommon disease that carries a high mortality rate due to its often late presentation. The disease follows a slow steady asymptomatic growth, and may be discovered incidentally at an earlier stage during a cholecystectomy. Gallbladder cancer possesses an infiltrating growth pattern towards the neighboring portal vasculature. Nihilistic view of the disease stayed for years due to patients’ limited survival. Recent studies report a decline in mortality rates in several parts of the world, although survival remains dismal for advanced stages. Gallbladder cancer is more commonly seen in South American countries such as Chile, Bolivia, and Ecuador, followed by Eastern Asian Countries such as Japan and South Korea. Lower incidence of the disease is reported in Europe, and the North American continent is considered a low risk area. No clear factors are associated with the development of gallbladder cancer; yet some risk factors are frequently linked to it. In the next sections, possible risk factors are discussed followed by clinical presentation, investigations, and treatment considerations for patients with gallbladder cancer.
Optimizing radiation dose and fractionation for the definitive treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Radiation therapy is the foundation for treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a disease that is often inoperable and has limited long term survival. Local control of disease is strongly linked to patient survival and continues to be problematic despite continued attempts at changing the dose and fractionation of radiation delivered. Technological advancements such as 4-dimensional computed tomography (CT) based planning, positron emission tomography (PET) based target delineation, and daily image guidance have allowed for ever more accurate and conformal treatments. A limit to dose escalation with conventional fractions of 2 Gy once per day appears to have been reached at 60 Gy in the randomized trial Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 0617. Higher doses were surprisingly associated with worse overall survival. Approaches other than conventional dose escalation have been explored to better control disease including accelerating treatment to limit tumor repopulation both with hyperfractionation and its multiple small ( 2 Gy) fraction each day. These accelerated regimens are increasingly being used with concurrent chemotherapy, and multiple institutions have reported it as tolerable. Tailoring treatment to individual patient disease and normal anatomic characteristics has been explored with isotoxic dose escalation up to the tolerance of organs at risk, with both hyperfractionation and hypofractionation. Metabolic imaging during and after treatment is increasingly being used to boost doses to residual disease. Boost doses have included moderate hypofractionation of 2-4 Gy, and more recently extreme hypofractionation with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). In spite of all these changes in dose and fractionation, lung and cardiovascular toxicity remain obstacles that limit disease control and patient survival.
Association between HIV status and psychological symptoms in perimenopausal women.

Objective HIV-infected women are burdened by depression and anxiety, which may impact adherence to antiretroviral therapy and overall quality of life. Yet, little is known about the scope of psychological symptoms in the growing number of HIV-infected women reaching menopause, when affective symptoms are more prevalent in the general population. We conducted a longitudinal study to compare affective symptoms between perimenopausal HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected women. Methods The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) were completed at baseline and 12 months among 33 HIV-infected and 33 non-HIV-infected perimenopausal women matched by race, age, menstrual patterns, and BMI. Linear regression models estimated the relationship of baseline GAD-7 and CES-D scores with clinical factors. Results All women were perimenopausal at baseline, and the vast majority remained perimenopausal throughout follow-up. HIV status was associated with higher baseline CES-D scores (median [interquartile range] 21 [12, 29] vs 10 [5, 14]; P = 0.03) and GAD-7 scores (7 [5, 15] vs 2 [1, 7]; P = 0.01), controlling for smoking, substance use, and antidepressant use. Depressive symptoms and anxiety remained significantly higher in the HIV-infected women at 12 months (P ≤ 0.01). Significant relationships of depressive symptoms (P = 0.048) and anxiety (P = 0.02) with hot flash severity were also observed. Conclusions Perimenopausal HIV-infected women experienced a disproportionately high level of affective symptom burden over a 12-month observation period. Given the potential for these factors to influence adherence to HIV clinical care and quality of life, careful assessment and referral for treatment of these symptoms is essential.
Gender differences in the impact of job mobility on earnings: The role of occupational segregation

In recent years, researchers have begun to explore the extent to which the impact of switching firms (inter-firm mobility) on wages varies between men and women. Using data from the NLSY79 from 1979 to 2012, this paper extends existing research by exploring how occupational segregation and individual level factors contribute to gender differences in the impact of voluntary inter-firm mobility on wages. The paper also examines how patterns vary depending on education level. Findings suggest that men without a college education receive greater wage gains from voluntary inter-firm mobility than similarly educated women although there is no overall gender difference for individuals with a bachelor's degree. The wage returns to voluntary inter-firm mobility for both men and women increase as a function of the male representation in the occupation. For individuals without a college education, the male premium to voluntary inter-firm mobility is largest in highly male dominated occupations. However, women with a bachelor's degree employed in highly male dominated occupations use voluntary inter-firm mobility to narrow the gender wage gap.
Development and Testing of Neutron Dosimetry Techniques for Accelerator-Based Irradiation Facilities

Integral tests have been made for 27 nuclear activation cross sections required for neutron dosimetry at accelerator-based irradiation facilities. Thirteen materials were irradiated in a well-defined geometry using neutrons produced by stopping 14- to 16-MeV deuterons in a thick beryllium target. The neutron spectrum was measured by time-of-flight spectrometry. Comparison of the activation integrals with the differential neutron spectrum provided an assessment of the nuclear data. A small fission chamber was used to monitor the irradiation, map flux gradients, and study attenuation and scattering effects. Comparison of the fission rates to fission product activations in the foil materials was also used to measure cumulative fission yields for /sup 235/U and /sup 238/U.
Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology: Forms of igneous bodies

INTRODUCTION Bodies of igneous rock are referred to as extrusive when formed on the Earth's surface, and intrusive when formed within the Earth. Intrusive bodies are further subdivided into plutonic – large intrusions formed at moderate to great depth, and hypabyssal – small intrusions formed near the Earth's surface. Hypabyssal rocks cool rapidly, and most resemble volcanic rocks more than plutonic ones. Extrusive bodies of igneous rock are relatively well understood, for many of them have actually been studied during their formation. The same cannot be said for plutonic bodies, where even their form may be uncertain and their formative processes often conjectural. We, therefore, start with a discussion of extrusive bodies. Extrusive bodies When thinking of volcanic forms, it is natural to picture a volcano such as Mount Fuji. Although such spectacular edifices are common, the largest volumes of volcanic rock in the geological record erupted to form less striking features. By far the most voluminous volcanic rocks on Earth are the basaltic flows covering the ocean floor. Most of these were erupted from fissures along mid-ocean ridges where they poured out to fill the axial valleys. Fissure eruptions of basalt also constitute the most voluminous rocks on continents. Coming in a close second with regard to volume are huge sheets of rhyolitic volcanic ash. Nine percent of the world's population lives within 100 km of an active volcano, and although many large eruptions in historic times have had disastrous effects on humans (de Boer and Sanders,2004), no eruption has been on the scale of the large ones found in the geologic record.
The Relevance of Matching DNA: Is the Window Half Open Or Half Shut

The basic concepts are always the hardest. This is particularly true in the study of evidence. Relevant evidence is evidence that alters the probability of a fact that matters, and relevant evidence generally is admissible unless it is too prejudicial.' Despite this seemingly simple formulation, questions of relevance relating to DNA evidenceeven to the most elementary concept of a "match" between two DNA samplescan be confusing. Well established methods of molecular biology permit laboratories to compare DNA from a crime scene to DNA from a defendant.2 If the DNA in these samples is similar, the match usually is powerful evidence that the incriminating DNA came from the defendant. To describe the incriminating effect of the resemblance, scientists may use numbers. The numbers seen most frequently in criminal cases are
Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and purpose Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma has been adopted as a first-line treatment option by numerous tertiary centers. The effect of intra-arterial chemotherapy on future rates of metastatic disease as well as on globe salvage in advanced eyes remains relatively unknown. Methods A search of PubMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science electronic databases was conducted from inception until January 2019 for studies with a minimum of 10 patients reporting outcomes and complications following intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma. Results A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria for analysis, comprising 873 patients and 1467 eyes. Only one study was comparative; there was substantial heterogeneity in reported outcomes and several overlapping patient cohorts that were published. Across all studies, 174 of 1467 eyes were enucleated (11.8%). Metastatic disease occurred in 8 of 513 patients (1.6%). Globe salvage was achieved in 318 of 906 (35.6%) cases of advanced retinoblastoma. The most common ocular complication was retinal detachment, occurring in 23% of eyes, and the most common systemic complications were transient fever and nausea/vomiting. Conclusions There is a paucity of higher-level evidence with adequate follow-up surrounding the long-term safety of intra-arterial chemotherapy and effect on metastasis in retinoblastoma. Studies to date have been limited by short-term follow-up. Longitudinal prospective studies could provide greater insight into the ability of intra-arterial chemotherapy to reduce the risk of retinoblastoma metastasis.
Aging and Health in the Latinx Population in the USA: Changing Demographics, Social Vulnerabilities, and the Aim of Quality of Life

In this chapter, we outline the health status and experiences of aging among Latinx persons. Aging among Latinx persons is heterogeneous, based on country of origin, place of residence, generation, socioeconomic status, social support networks, and life experiences. Despite having higher life expectancies than White non-Hispanics, this population suffers from a greater burden of disability, their utilization of existing health services is lower, and the proportion of Latinx older adults living at the poverty level is greater compared to other racial/ethnic groups. With fewer economic resources, Latinx older adults may be highly dependent on family and social services for long-term care. We conclude by providing alternative frameworks for examining aging in the Latinx population.
The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Prevalence of Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes: A Single-Centre Study in Central Pennsylvania

Objective We conducted this study to investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the rate of DKA and previously identified risk factors in children presenting with T1D. Methods We performed an extension of a retrospective analysis of all paediatric patients (age ≤ 18) newly diagnosed with T1D within a tertiary care referral centre between 01/01/2017 and 09/14/2020. Demographics, insurance coverage and clinical documents 30 days before their T1D diagnosis were abstracted to assess for symptoms at diagnosis, laboratory values (blood glucose, HbA1c, venous pH and bicarbonate) and any healthcare encounters within 30 days of their diagnosis of T1D. Results 412 patients with T1D [171 F:241 M; 370 pre-COVID era:42 post-COVID era] were included. The percentages of DKA diagnoses at admission were very similar between the pre-COVID and post-COVID groups (47% vs. 48%), as were the severity (13% vs. 14% mild DKA; 33% vs. 31% moderate or severe DKA). Conclusion There were no fluctuations in the rate of DKA among paediatric patients newly diagnosed with T1D throughout the coronavirus pandemic in central Pennsylvania.
Detection of symptoms of late complications after stroke in young survivors with active surveillance versus usual care.

Stroke survivors develop late complications after stroke (LCAS) that impair return to pre-stroke responsibilities. Optimal strategies for detection have not been developed. We assessed differences ...
Removal of Wandering Baseline Artifact from Electrocardiogram Signals

In this research, we analyze a very common issue called wandering baseline artifact (WBA) that has with electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. This artifact is due to normal patient's movements and is present on each derivation. This wandering baseline has a very low frequency, normally under 0.2 Hz. The wandering baseline on the ECG signals produce an alteration on the ‘P’ segment (the information of the atrial depolarization) and the ‘ST’ segment (the information of a ventricular contraction). We have developed the linear filter that has used to remove this WBA by keeping the nature of the original ECG signals and making sure not to vanish clinical important information from the original signals. In this research, we used ECG signals provided by the Physionet, which is a database website that provide physiological signals for research purposes. The filters (median and moving average) that used in the proposed algorithm is to obtain the signal that we do not want from our original signal. Finally, we do a subtraction between the original signal and the filtered signal and analyze both signals (input and output) in the frequency domain using the Welch Periodogram that indicate the reduction of wandering baseline since the power density spectrum decrease among low frequencies.
Challenges and Opportunities of Creating Conceptual Maps.

In exploring the interrelations among responsibility, privacy, authenticity, and trust, Schonau and colleagues propose an “agency map” that “brings together the diverse neuroethical dimensions and ...
Graph Neural Networks for Modeling Causality in International Trade

Neural network algorithms have proven successful for accurate classifications in many domains such as image recognition and semantic parsing. However, they have long suffered from the lack of ability to measure causality, predict outliers effectively, or provide explainability relevant to the application domain. In this paper we introduce a method that measures causal scenarios during outlier events using neural networks: Artificial Intelligence Network Explanation of Trade (AINET). AINET tailors AI techniques specifically for bilateral trade modeling. Datasets with network-like structures (such as global trade, social networks, or city traffic) can benefit from Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) modeling and structural power. These network-based models (i.e. GNNs) empower policy makers with an understanding of the fast-paced shifts in trade flows around the world due to outlier events such as increased tariffs, natural disasters, embargoes, pandemics, or trade wars. Our work is at the intersection of GNNs' optimization, causality, and their proper application to trade. AINET results are presented with an overall test mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 28%, demonstrating the efficacy and potential of harnessing this method.
Geographic Distribution of Otolaryngology Advance Practice Providers and Physicians.

ObjectivesAdvanced practice providers (APPs), namely physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), play an increasing role in meeting growing demands for otolaryngologic services, parti...