cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Marketing To Health Information Seekers: A Critical Look At The Principal Assumptions

As the Internet gained more significance in various dimensions of our lives and dealings with others, it was just a matter of time for the world of healthcare to incorporate the Internet-use into its routines. We are now seeing tangible examples of this use in many facets of healthcare industry. Both providers and patients have been pursuing Internet-related strategies, remedies, routines, and etc. for a while now. It has been stated that majority of the Americans who are online are looking for health information. Healthcare information is accessed more than sports, stocks, and shopping. Some believe that this growing use of online health information sources is able to bridge the gap between what patients know and what they are told. In other words, these patients can visit their physicians armed with knowledge obtained on the Web and pursue rather educated discussions with their physicians about their medical issues. Of course, this is true based on the assumptions that the websites that these patients use provide accurate information and the patients comprehend this information properly. The purpose of this paper is to very briefly review some of the ongoing trends in this field and review the practicality of the two assumptions listed above. It is hoped that inquiries like this result in a better understanding of the components required for a proper use of online options to improve the efficiency of healthcare practices.
Cosmology: Expanding Universe

Beyond describing the spacetime around a black hole, general relativity provides a framework for studying the universe as a whole. Some of the great discoveries in cosmology during the twentieth century related to the expansion of the universe. In this chapter we study cosmic expansion in the context of relativistic cosmology. Later, in Chap. 20, we will examine how particles and gas behaved within the expanding universe shortly after the Big Bang.
Orthopaedic Injuries in Equestrian Sports A Current Concepts Review

Background:Despite the common nature of orthopaedic injuries in equestrian sports, there is no published review to specifically characterize orthopaedic injuries in equestrian athletes.Purpose:To characterize orthopaedic injury patterns in equine sports–related injuries and their treatment.Study Design:Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:This review was performed through a PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus query (from 1978 to June 2014) in the English literature using search terms “(equine-related OR equestrian-related OR horse-related OR equestrian OR equestrians) AND (injury OR injuries).” Only full-text studies reporting on orthopaedic injury patterns pertinent to equestrian sports in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) were included. Orthopaedic injuries were defined as those resulting in a fracture or dislocation. In all, 182 studies were excluded, leaving a total of 27 studies for evaluation. The studies included were analyzed for demographic and epidemiological data for orthopae...
Mechanical Performance of Glass and Carbon/Vinyl Ester Composites for Marine Structures

This paper describes the processing and mechanical characterization of two different fibers (glass and carbon) and two different fabric architectures (woven roving and stitch bonded) that were made into composites using Dow Chemical's Derakane 510A-40, a brominated vinyl ester resin. Both E-glass and T700 carbon fibers were coated with vinyl ester compatible sizing. Composite panels were fabricated by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), specimens were machined, and mechanical tests were conducted as per the accepted test standards. Tension, compression, in-plane shear and inter-laminar shear properties were measured and their associated failure modes were compared with each other. The specific properties of the composites were compared with that of steel.
Oxygen Reactivity of Devolatilized Diesel Engine Particulates from Conventional and Biodiesel Fuels

This study reports measurements of the oxygen reactivity of diesel engine particulates generated with a range of conventional and biodiesel fuel blends. Particulate samples were collected from a modern light-duty diesel engine and then devolatilized at 650 °C under argon. Reaction rates of the remaining fixed carbon component with oxygen were measured in a differential fixed-bed reactor. Global Arrhenius kinetic parameters were determined from the measured reaction rates. Surface area measurements were also made in situ during particle burnout and revealed fuel-dependent differences in burning mode. An empirical function for correlating the variation of surface area with burnout is proposed based on these observations. When the observed reaction rates are normalized to the local active carbon surface area (which varied with fuel type and degree of burnout), it is possible to identify a single global Arrhenius activation energy of 113 ± 6 kJ/mol.
Dielectric Constant of N-Hexane as a Function of Temperature, Pressure, and Density.

A description is given of apparatus employing a cell that is both a bellows dilatometer and a three-terminal electrode set for measuring simultaneously the density and dielectric properties of liquids as functions of temperature and pressure. Measurements are possible at temperatures from 120 °K to over 300 °K and pressures from 1 to 2000 atm with an uncertainty of 0.03 percent. The density, dielectric constant, and Clausius-Mossotti function of n-hexane have been measured for temperatures from 223 to 298 °K (-50 to 25 °C) and at pressures from 1 to 2000 atm. There is a linear decrease in the Clausius-Mossotti function with density and a decrease with temperature corresponding to an effective dipole moment of 0.085 debye.
Effects of Antibiotics and Heat Treatment of Shell Eggs on Quality After Storage

ABSTRACT RESEARCH workers during the last decade have demonstrated that there is need for an improved method of handling shell eggs during washing so as to reduce the percentage of spoiled eggs. Results noted in the marketing of eggs emphasize the need for such a procedure. Advantages claimed by Funk (1950) for heat treatment or thermostabilization of shell eggs are: 1. Retention of thick albumen, 2. Devitalization of embryonic development, 3. Destruction of many spoilage causing bacteria. These attributes would appear to overcome most of the problems facing the egg producer washing eggs. Goresline, Moser and Hayes (1950) reported that immersing eggs for 16 minutes at 130° to 139°F. in oil resulted in stabilization of the egg white against thinning and the eggs, therefore, maintained a higher albumen score throughout the storage. No change of the pH was found. Higher retention of albumen score was also reported by Carlin and Foth . . .
Silicon nitride on silicon-on-insulator: A platform for integration active control over passive components

We propose the use of SOI with silicon nitride layers for electronic control. A phase modulator with a V π ·L of 1.02 V·mm and a compact vertical coupling taper are demonstrated in an easy-to-fabricate planar structure.
Operative microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a single center retrospective review of 219 patients.

Background: Microwave ablation (MWA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) offers local regional treatment that can be safely and effectively performed, even in patients with advanced liver disease. We update results from our group’s previous analysis of operative MWA for HCC. Methods: Retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent operative MWA for HCC from 2007–2014. Patient demographics, operative characteristics and complications were recorded. Follow up imaging was reviewed to determine rates of complete ablation, local, regional and metastatic recurrence. Results: Two hundred and nineteen patients were included with a total of 340 tumors treated with operative MWA. Median tumor size was 3.2 cm (range, 1–6 cm). Cirrhosis was present in 89.5% of patients, 60.7% had hepatitis C, and 8.2% had hepatitis B. Thirty-five point nine percent were Child-Pugh class B/C. Ninety-six point eight percent of MWA procedures were performed laparoscopically. Four deaths occurred within 30 days (1.8%). Clavien-Dindo grade III complications occurred in 3.2% of patients. Complete ablation was identified in 97.1% of tumors, with local recurrence rates of 8.5% at 10.9 months median follow up (0–80 months). Regional recurrence occurred in 34.8% of patients at 10.9 months median follow up and metastatic recurrence was seen in 8.1% of patients. One year overall survival was 80.0% and 2-year survival was 61.5%. Conclusions: We propose that laparoscopic MWA offers a low morbidity approach for treatment of HCC affording low rates of local recurrence even for patients with significant underlying liver dysfunction. This large series offers insight into outcomes of this modality as definitive treatment for patients with HCC.
Liver Transplantation for PSC

Liver transplantation is widely accepted as the definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease secondary to cirrhosis. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts which leads to cholestasis, fibrotic strictures, and duct obliteration. PSC eventually results in cirrhosis in more than half of affected individuals. Therapeutic options are limited. Medical management, endoscopic interventions, and surgical resection of biliary strictures are not curative and have little impact on disease progression. A majority of persons who do not undergo liver transplantation ultimately die from liver failure due to biliary cirrhosis or from hepatobiliary cancer [1–5]. Cholestatic liver disease is the primary etiology of ESLD in 8.2 % of liver transplant recipients [6]. Median survival of patients with PSC ranges from 10 to 21 years from time of diagnosis until liver transplant or death [1, 3, 4, 7–10]. This chapter will discuss indications for liver transplant in PSC, pretransplant evaluation, intraoperative technique, and postoperative outcomes.
Health Literacy and Child Health Outcomes: From Prenatal to Birth and Infant Stages

The impact of parental health literacy and the health outcomes of young children is a poorly studied area. DeWalt, et al., summarized the pertinent literature regarding literacy and child outcomes, not necessarily health literacy, from 1980 through 2008.1 They presented 24 studies that dealt with the relationship between literacy and child health outcomes and found that lower literacy was associated with a lack of basic knowledge regarding a known medical condition, difficulty utilizing consent forms, non-comprehension of the concepts behind prenatal screening, and non-understanding of educational brochures resulting in poorer health outcomes. However, the impact of health literacy on a baby occurs before birth or even before pregnancy.1
Alkyltin Keggin Clusters Templated by Sodium

Dodecameric (Sn12 ) and hexameric topologies dominate monoalkyltin-oxo cluster chemistry. Their condensation, triggered by radiation exposure, recently produced unprecedented patterning performance in EUV lithography. A new cluster topology was crystallized from industrial n-BuSnOOH, and additional characterization techniques indicate other clusters are present. Single-crystal X-ray analysis reveals a β-Keggin cluster, which is known but less common than other Keggin isomers in polyoxometalate and polyoxocation chemistry. The structure is formulated [NaO4 (BuSn)12 (OH)3 (O)9 (OCH3 )12 (Sn(H2 O)2 )] (β-NaSn13 ). SAXS, NMR, and ESI MS differentiate β-NaSn13 , Sn12 , and other clusters present in crude "n-BuSnOOH" and highlight the role of Na as a template for alkyltin Keggin clusters. Unlike other alkyltin clusters that are cationic, β-NaSn13 is neutral. Consequently, it stands as a unique model system, absent of counterions, to study the transformation of clusters to films and nanopatterns.
Abstract 214: The Vascular Niche in Adult Mouse Brain After Stroke - Confocal Imaging of Whole Mount SVZ

Stroke induces angiogenesis in the peri-infarct region. It is not known whether angiogenesis occurs in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle after stroke. The SVZ is a neural stem ...
Fracture risk associated with common medications used in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose Published data on the risk of bone fractures associated with medications used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus are summarized. Summary A systematic literature search identified 108 publications on controlled trials and 6 meta-analyses addressing the potential for fractures with the use of 7 commonly used antidiabetic classes: thiazolidinediones (TZDs), sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, biguanides, insulin, and sulfonylureas. Among all the classes of agents evaluated, only TZDs have been clearly linked to significantly increased fracture risk (number needed to harm [NNH], 99 in one meta-analysis and 172 in another meta-analysis) and only in female patients. Interim data from an ongoing large placebo-controlled trial suggest that use of the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin may be associated with an elevated rate of fractures (absolute risk increase, 1.4%; NNH, 71) and decreased total-hip bone mineral density. Published data regarding the other evaluated classes of agents generally show no effect on fracture risk; some evidence suggests a small bone-protective effect with the use of DPP-4 inhibitors. Conclusion In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, evidence is strongest that, among antidiabetic drugs, TZDs increase the risk of bone fractures; thus, TZDs should be used with caution in women. Canagliflozin is the only SGLT2 inhibitor linked to an increased fracture rate. Metformin, sulfonylureas, insulin, DPP-4 inhibitors, and GLP-1 agonists appear to have overall neutral effects on bone fractures.
Abstract 1327: CD147 contributes to extracellular matrix remodeling and degradation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an incurable, progressive lung disease characterized by shortness and difficulty in breathing. Patients with COPD are at higher risk of developing lung cancer and often are associated with poor outcome of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and degradation is one of the common hallmarks between cancer and COPD. It contributes to degradation of air sacs (emphysema) or small airways (obstructive bronchiolitis). It is also involved in cancer initiation and progression to assist tumor expansion and cancer cell migration. In this study, we analyzed lung tissue and primary alveolar type II (ATII) cells isolated from patients with emphysema and control organ donors. ATII cells secrete and store pulmonary surfactant and restore the epithelium after damage. We performed RNA sequencing in ATII cells to identify dysregulated proteins, which are involved in ECM degradation in emphysema. To further study the mechanism involved in the ECM degradation in this disease, we analyzed the expression of selected proteins and we focused on the role of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (CD147). CD147 is a cell membrane protein involved in inducing the production of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). First, we found that cells isolated from patients with emphysema have higher expression of CD147 in ATII cells in comparison with controls as detected by western blotting and RT-PCR. This may explain high ECM degradation in this disease. Second, we observed higher MMPs levels in plasma obtained from individuals with this disease. Third, we found significantly higher expression of cathepsin B in ATII cells isolated from emphysema in comparison with controls. Cathepsin B is an enzyme that facilitates a direct degradation of ECM proteins and activate other proteases capable of degrading ECM. Fourth, our data indicate that CD147 interacts with cathepsin B, which may lead to the activation of MMPs and emphysema progression. In summary, our results show for the first time the important role of CD147 in emphysema development. Moreover, we found that cathepsin B may contribute to CD147-mediated disease progression. Further studies will elucidate its role in lung cancer development in patients with emphysema. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Tiffany Tan, Beata Kosmider, Nathaniel Marchetti, Sudhir Bolla, Chenna Mandapati, Gerard Criner, Karim Bahmed. CD147 contributes to extracellular matrix remodeling and degradation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1327. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1327
Identifying Pleiotropic Effects: A Two-Stage Approach Using Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Data

Pleiotropic effects occur when a single genetic variant independently influences multiple phenotypes. In genetic epidemiological studies, multiple endo-phenotypes or correlated traits are commonly tested separately in a univariate statistical framework to identify associations with genetic determinants. Subsequently, a simple look-up of overlapping univariate results is applied to identify pleiotropic genetic effects. However, this strategy offers limited power to detect pleiotropy. In contrast, combining correlated traits into a composite test provides a powerful approach for detecting pleiotropic genes. Here, we propose a two-stage approach to identify potential pleiotropic effects by utilizing aggregated results from large-scale genome-wide association (GWAS) meta-analyses. In the first stage, we developed two novel approaches (direct linear combining, dLC; and empirical combining, eLC) combining correlated univariate test statistics to screen potential pleiotropic variants on a genome-wide scale, using either individual-level or aggregated data. Our simulations indicated that dLC and eLC outperform other popular multivariate approaches (such as principal component analysis (PCA), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), canonical correlation (CCA), generalized estimation equations (GEE), linear mixed effects models (LME) and O9Brien combining approach). In particular, eLC provides a notable increase in power when the genetic variant exhibits both protective and deleterious effects. In the second stage, we developed a unique approach, conditional pleiotropy testing (cPLT), to examine pleiotropic effects using individual-level data for candidate variants identified in Stage 1. Simulation demonstrated reduced type 1 error for cPLT in identifying pleiotropic genetic variants compared to the typical conditional strategy. We validated our two-stage approach by performing a bivariate GWA study on two correlated quantitative traits, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG), in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 (GAW16) simulation dataset. In summary, the proposed two-stage approach allows us to leverage aggregated summary statistics from univariate GWAS and improves the power to identify potential pleiotropy while maintaining valid false-positive rates.
Recent advances in the management of metastatic prostate cancer: optimizing use of existing therapies, while searching for novel interventions.

Purpose of review Summarizes recent advances in the treatment of metastatic castration-sensitive and castration-resistant prostate cancer. Recent findings New randomized data suggest a survival advantage to early abiraterone in castration-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer. Prospective and retrospective studies are examining sequencing of existing cytotoxic and androgen-receptor-targeted therapies in both castration-sensitive and castration-resistant disease. Genomic analysis of both circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor nucleic acids is being examined as a potential method for selecting existing therapies and identifying novel therapeutic targets. Finally, immunotherapy combinations are being evaluated in the setting of advanced prostate cancer. Summary In this review, we hope to summarize the recent data supporting the use of early abiraterone in castration-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer and discuss how this data might be incorporated with previous trials showing a survival advantage to early docetaxel. We present recent series examining sequencing of approved therapies as well as trials evaluating novel biomarkers and genomic analyses designed to help choose from among approved therapies or evaluate drugs in development. Lastly, we review ongoing trials examining novel immunotherapy combinations in advanced prostate cancer.
Association of clinicopathological features of melanoma with total naevus count and a history of dysplastic naevi: a cross-sectional retrospective study within an academic centre.

BACKGROUND High naevus count (HNC) (≥ 50 naevi) and presence of dysplastic naevi (DN) are risk factors for malignant melanoma (MM); however, MMs also occur in patients with low naevus count (LNC) (< 50 naevi) and in patients without DN. Little is known about differences between MMs in these groups. AIM To characterize the clinicopathological differences between MMs in patients with HNC and those in patients with LNC, with or without biopsy-proven DN. METHODS This was a cross-sectional retrospective chart review of 281 patients with MM seen between April 2013 and March 2014 at an academic pigmented lesion clinic (Boston, MA, USA). RESULTS Patients with LNC MMs were diagnosed at an older age (51 vs. 41 years, P < 0.001, OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.93-0.97), with more aggressive MM features, including greater Breslow thickness (1.1 vs. 0.8 mm, P = 0.01), more mitoses (2 vs. 1 mitoses/mm2 , P < 0.001), lower rate of superficial spreading subtype (58 vs. 78%, P < 0.01, OR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.31-5.03) and higher MM stage (P < 0.001), compared to patients with HNC. Patients with DN had similar trends as those in patients with HNC described above, and in addition, were more likely to have a truncal MM (55 vs. 39%, P < 0.01, OR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.22-3.18) with less ulceration (13 vs. 29%, P < 0.01, OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.71). Patients without DN were more likely to have a history of a non-MM skin cancer (32 vs. 19%, P = 0.01, OR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.28-0.85) and an amelanotic MM (33 vs 21%, P = 0.03, OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.31-0.96). CONCLUSIONS Patients with LNC may develop MMs with more aggressive features at an older age than patients with HNC. A history of biopsy-proven DN reveals distinct MM differences compared to patients without DN.
Applications of Sr Isotopes in Archaeology

The inclusion of radiogenic strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis in archaeological and bioarchaeological research has resulted in the creation of new data by which to evaluate models of migration, culture change, colonization, trade, and exchange. Overwhelmingly, archaeologists have used radiogenic strontium isotope signatures in human enamel and bone apatite to reconstruct ancient mobility patterns and to distinguish between individuals of local and non-local origins at archaeological sites. The method also has been employed to establish the provenience of artifacts, ancient building materials, and foodstuffs as well as to track the origins and migratory patterns of prehistoric animals. The present chapter provides an introduction to the fundamental principles, approaches, applications, and future directions of radiogenic strontium isotope analysis in archaeology.
Federal regulations and the care of patients with dementia in the nursing home

More than half of the people residing in nursing homes in the United States have dementia. A long history of basic contradictions in the conceptualization of nursing home care in the United States has resulted in a serious mismatch between the needs of residents with dementia and the resources of nursing homes to care for these residents. Concern for this discrepancy, and the resultant inadequate and inappropriate care, provided a major impetus for nursing home reform. OBRA 87 was a broad public policy initiative intended to improve the quality of life of nursing home residents. The spirit of the legislation is embodied in federal regulations that explicitly recognize the importance of psychological and social domains of the lives of nursing home residents; restrict the use of psychotropic drugs and physical restraints; and advocate for activities and services to attain or maintain patients' highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. Although the impact of OBRA 87 on the quality of life of residents with dementia is unknown, the federal regulations constitute a major step in the movement for nursing home reform and toward improved quality of care.
New Approaches to Sensory Materials: Molecular Recognition in Conjugated Polymers

This contribution reviews our research directed at the utilization of conjugated polymers for the development of new sensory methodologies. Ours is not the only group working in this area, and the reader is directed to recent reviews which cover many of the interesting contributions from other researchers[1].
Inducing Vocal Verbal Behavior in Children with Severe Language Delays Through Rapid Motor Imitation Responding.

We conducted two experiments demonstrating the use of a rapid motor imitation sequence to evoke echoic and independent mands in three preschoolers with no vocal verbal behavior, who were unresponsive to alternative procedures. We further tested the procedure in the induction of echoics and independent tacts. The dependent variables for both experiments were echoics, mands, and tacts. In Experiment 1, we used a within subject multiple baseline design, across two mand and two tact forms, which were introduced in a counterbalanced order. In Experiment 2 we used a multiple baseline across subjects design with a tandem tact and mand training schedule, during which opportunities for echoic and independent mand training were contingent upon correct echoic and independent tact responses. Results showed that the rapid motor imitation antecedent was successful in inducing echoic and independent mands and tacts. Tacts required fewer opportunities than mands for mastery during the first experiment.
Ab initio analysis of nucleation reactions during tungsten atomic layer deposition on Si(100) and W(110) substrates

Novel insight into the mechanisms that govern nucleation during tungsten atomic layer deposition is presented through a detailed analysis using density functional theory. Using the calculated energetics, the authors suggest the most probable series of reactions that lead to monolayer formation on desired growth surfaces, Si(100) and W(110), during sequential doses of WF 6 and SiH 4. From this analysis, they conclude that a relatively high-energy barrier exists for initial nucleation of WF 6 on a silicon substrate; therefore, the system is limited to physical adsorption and is only capable of accessing nucleation pathways once the reaction barrier is energetically accessible. During early doses of WF 6, the initial silicon surface acts as the reductant. Results from this half-reaction provide support for the noncoalesced growth of initial W layers since nucleation is shown to require a 2:1 ratio of silicon to WF 6. In addition, the release of H 2 is significantly favored over HF production leading to the formation of fluorine-contaminated silicon sites; etching of these sites is heavily supported by the absence of fluorine observed in experimentally deposited films as well as the high volatility of silicon-subfluorides. In the second half-reaction, SiH 4 plays the multipurpose role of stripping fluorine atoms from W, displacing any adsorbed hydrogen atoms, and depositing a silicon-hydride layer. Saturation of the previously formed W layer with silicon-hydrides is a crucial step in depositing the consecutive layer since these surface species act as the reductants in the succeeding dose of WF 6. The SiH 4 half-reaction reaches a limit when all fluorine atoms are removed as silicon-subfluorides (SiF xH y) and tungsten sites are terminated with silicon-hydrides. The WF 6 dose reaches a limit in early doses when the reductant, i.e., the surface, becomes blocked due to the formation of a planar network of fluorine-containing tungsten intermediates and in later cycles when the reductant, i.e., adsorbed silicon-hydrides, is etched entirely from the surface. Overall, the calculated energetics indicate that WF xH y, SiF x, and H 2 molecules are the most probable by-products released during the ALD process. Results from this work contribute significantly to the fundamental understanding of atomic layer growth of tungsten using silicon species as reducing agents and may be used as a template for analyzing novel ALD processes.
The effect of modifiable risk factors on breast cancer aggressiveness among black and white women.

Abstract Introduction Although breast cancer incidence is higher among white women, black women are more likely to have aggressive tumors with less favorable histology, and to have a worse prognosis. Obesity and alcohol consumption have been identified as two modifiable risk factors for breast cancer, while physical activity may offer protection. Little however is known about the association of these factors with race on the severity of breast cancer. Methods Data collected as part of a large prospective study looking at insulin resistance and race among women with breast cancer was queried for patient characteristics, lifestyle factors and tumor characteristics. The association with Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) was assessed with different models using univariate and multivariate linear regression. Results Among 746 women in our cohort, 82% (n = 615) were white and 18% (n = 131) were black, mean age 58 years. Black patients were more likely to have high BMI (31.0 vs. 26.7, p 4.4), which was significantly associated with younger age (55.6 vs 58.5 years, p = 0.02), black race (27% vs 15%, p = 0.001), triple negative cancer (15% vs 6%, p = 0.003), and poor diet (54% vs 45%, p = 0.046) compared to patients with better prognosis (NPI ≤ 4.4). On multivariate analysis, (model R2 = 0.12; p Conclusion Among modifiable risk factors, diet and exercise are associated with NPI. Unmodifiable factors including race and biologic subtype remain the most important determinants of prognosis.
Benchtop Global-Warming Demonstrations Do Not Exemplify the Atmospheric Greenhouse Effect, but Alternatives Are Available

The atmospheric greenhouse effect is a topic in many science courses. A number of lecture demonstrations with carbon dioxide purport to show how infrared-absorbing atmospheric gases “trap” energy. The demonstration described here shows that the temperature change observed in these demonstrations is a consequence of the density of carbon dioxide relative to air, not its infrared-absorbing property. Since the pedagogical value instructors report for the usual demonstration is based on an incorrect interpretation of the temperature change and can lead to a misconception about global warming, suggestions are made for possible replacement demonstrations.
Confidential genetic testing and electronic health records: A survey of current practices among Huntington disease testing centers.

BACKGROUND Clinical care teams providing presymptomatic genetic testing often employ advanced confidentiality practices for documentation and result storage. However, patient requests for increased confidentiality may be in conflict with the legal obligations of medical providers to document patient care activities in the electronic health record (EHR). Huntington disease presents a representative case study for investigating the ways centers currently balance the requirements of EHRs with the privacy demands of patients seeking presymptomatic genetic testing. METHODS We surveyed 23 HD centers (53% response rate) regarding their use of the EHR for presymptomatic HD testing. RESULTS Our survey revealed that clinical care teams and laboratories have each developed their own practices, which are cumbersome and often include EHR avoidance. We found that a majority of HD care teams record appointments in the EHR (91%), often using vague notes. Approximately half of the care teams (52%) keep presymptomatic results of out of the EHR. CONCLUSION As genetic knowledge grows, linking more genes to late-onset conditions, institutions will benefit from having professional recommendations to guide development of policies for EHR documentation of presymptomatic genetic results. Policies must be sensitive to the ethical differences and patient demands for presymptomatic genetic testing compared to those undergoing confirmatory genetic testing.
Hospitalizations for tuberculous peritonitis in the United States: Results from the national inpatient sample database from 2002 to 2014.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is an uncommon disease in the Western hemisphere that can present with peritoneal involvement, as tuberculous peritonitis(TBP) causing abdominal pain and fever. The healthcare and economic burden of TBP in the United States remains unknown. Methods The National Inpatient Sample database was utilized to investigate TBP hospitalizations from 2002 to 2014. Economic expenditures, patient and hospital demographics, and associations of certain comorbidities with TBP were analyzed. Results A total of 5878 hospitalizations for TBP occurred over the 12-year duration, with $420 million in-hospital charges. The median patient age was 45 years (interquartile range: 31.1-61.7), with the majority being Hispanic (27.15%). Hospitalizations occurred primarily in the Western (31.3%) and Southern (31.7%) United States. Patient comorbidities and the respective odds ratio associated with TBP included HIV (33.56), continuous peritoneal dialysis (10.49), malnutrition (7.38), liver cirrhosis (6.87), and liver cirrhosis sequelae (6.91). Nearly 6.37% of TBP hospitalizations also had active pulmonary TB. Conclusion Although TBP is uncommon in the United States, it should be considered in patients presenting with abdominal pain and fever and a history of HIV, continuous peritoneal dialysis, malnutrition, liver cirrhosis, or liver cirrhosis sequelae.
A retrospective study of the 2012–2016 California drought and its impacts on the power sector

Over the period 2012-2016, the state of California in the United States (U.S.) experienced a drought considered to be one of the worst in state history. Drought's direct impacts on California's electric power sector are understood. Extremely low streamflow manifests as reduced hydropower availability, and if drought is also marked by elevated temperatures, these can increase building electricity demands for cooling. Collectively, these impacts force system operators to increase reliance on natural gas power plants, increasing market prices and emissions. However, previous investigations have relied mostly on ex post analysis of observational data to develop estimates of increases in costs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to drought. This has made it difficult to control for confounding variables (e.g. growing renewable energy capacity, volatile natural gas prices) in assessing the drought's impacts. In this study, we use a power system simulation model to isolate the direct impacts of several hydrometeorological phenomena observed during the 2012-2016 drought on system wide CO2 emissions and wholesale electricity prices in the California market. We find that the impacts of drought conditions on wholesale electricity prices were modest (annual prices rose by $0-3/MWh, although much larger within-year increases are also observed). Instead, it was an increase in natural gas prices, punctuated by the 2014 polar vortex event that affected much of the Eastern U.S., which caused wholesale electricity prices to increase during the drought. Costs from the drought were much different for the state's three investor owned utilities. Overall, we find that increased cooling demands (electricity demand) during the drought may have represented a larger economic cost ($3.8 billion) than lost hydropower generation ($1.9 billion). We also find the potential for renewable energy to mitigate drought-cased increases in CO2 emissions to be negligible, standing in contrast to some previous studies.
Drop impact onto pine needle fibers with non-circular cross section

Pine needles have evolved alongside rainfall for millennia. Needles are robust to raindrop impacts and the portions of mass impacting raindrops leave behind. Pine needles also provide a unique fiber profile by which to study liquid drop collisions on slender structures. In this experimental study, we use high-speed videography to film the impact of water drops onto green, rigidly supported Pinus palustris needles, which are of non-circular cross section. Impacts result in drop division into thin, ephemeral lobes, which collapse within milliseconds, splitting the parent drop. We measure orientation-dependent lobe shapes and separation angles, impact force, drop spreading on fibers, and mass retention. Lobes formed by impact with the rounded side of needles are parabolic in shape, while those with the wedged side are irregular. For a fixed drop size, impact forces on rounded surfaces are consistently less than those experienced by wedged surfaces, and the disparity in the impact force between the two orientations grows with the Weber number. The smaller of the two drop sizes on test is more effective at generating impact forces per drop weight than the larger drops. Post-impact, fibers in both orientations retain residual mass from the impacting drop. The wedged surface is more effective at splitting drops and shedding drop remnants.
The Role of Attentional Control in Attention to Emotional Stimuli Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Prior studies have examined age differences in attention to emotional stimuli; in the current study, we considered how this might relate to dispositional measures of attentional control across age groups. Participants were 116 middle-aged (aged 35 – 64 years) and 39 older (aged 65-86 years) adults in the United States. In the study, participants filled in the Emotional Attentional Control Scale. Then participants watched fearful, happy, neutral, and disgusting videos. The gaze time for each video was measured by an eye tracker. Results did not show significant age difference in attention to happy and neutral videos. However, middle-aged adults gazed relatively more to the disgusting video and relatively less to the fearful video, t (115) =2.16, p =.03. The opposite pattern was found among older adults, t (38) =5.85, p<.001. Self-reported emotional attentional control was not significantly related to attention in either age group. These findings suggest that different stimuli may yield age differences in fixation that are a less consistent pattern with the age-related positivity effect reported in previous studies, and also that self-reported emotional attentional control may not relate to gaze patterns.
Introducing Native American Conflict History (NACH) data

The colonization of the Northern Hemisphere between 1500 and 1900 produced nearly 150 separate conflicts between colonial powers and Native American communities. These conflicts have been largely o...
Democratic Legitimacy under Conditions of Severely Depressed Voter Turnout

Due to the present pandemic, it seems increasingly likely that the 2020 general election in November will be held under conditions of unprecedented downward pressure on voter turnout. The possibility of severely depressed turnout for a highly consequential presidential election raises troubling questions of democratic legitimacy. Although voter turnout in the United States has historically been poor, low turnout is not usually thought to threaten the legitimacy of electoral processes when it results from voluntary abstention and is distributed unsystematically. Conversely, electoral legitimacy is often considered at risk when nonvoting is involuntary, especially when obstacles to voting fall systematically on specific populations. If turnout in November is unusually low but largely voluntary and unsystematic, then the risks to legitimacy should be low. If, however, nonvoting is both widespread and involuntary, and especially if obstacles to voting seem systematically directed at specific groups, conditions will be in place for a significant escalation of the threat. In particular, concerns of electoral legitimacy, which place in doubt only the authority of specific election winners to occupy the offices to which they have purportedly been elected, may ratchet up to much more profound concerns about regime legitimacy. Such concerns cast doubt on the continuing validity of popular consent to the entirety of the existing governmental regime.
Language Mixings in Heritage Language Education: A Systematic Review

The overarching research question for this paper is what work has been done on heritage languages worldwide through a language mixing lens. Given the increasing research interest in this topic and the scarcity of previous secondary studies, a systematic review was conducted on the empirical data at the intersection of language mixing and heritage language education, in and out of schools. Thematic analysis and frequency analysis were carried out on qualified empirical sources gathered from Scopus, Web of Science, and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA). After sharing backgrounds on heritage language education and language mixing with relative terms and perspectives, the paper presents findings from the review based on 23 peer-reviewed empirical journal articles, focusing specifically on three aspects: (a) the main theoretical approaches and definitions employed for language mixing; (b) the characterization of language mixing for instruction and its impacts on heritage language education; (c) the parent and community language mixing activities for children’s heritage language learning. The limitations of the existing studies and the implications for educators and researchers are later discussed. It is hoped that this article will further our knowledge on this topic and provide pointed implications for future education and research.
A Survey on Research of Power System Transient Stability Based on Wide-Area Measurement Information

Transient stability is an important issue in power system study to which special attentions are paid.In recent years along with the perfection of wide-area measurement system(WAMS) based on phasor measuring units(PMU) it is possible to acquire dynamic response data of the entire power system,so WAMS provides are new measure for the research on transient stability.In four aspects,i.e.,the improvement of traditional analysis method for transient stability,the research on fast transient stability criteria,prediction of transient stability and control of transient stability,the application status of WAMS in the research on power system transient stability is summarized,and it is pointed out that it is the development trend of the research on transient stability based on wide-area measurement information in the future.
Activation of mononuclear phagocytes for the destruction of intracellular parasites: studies with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Trypanosoma cruzi is an obligate intracellular parasite of man and other mammals. In man, it produces a chronic infection which, in its more severe form, leads to cardiac damage and failure (Chagas disease).
Talking Steel Towns: The Men and Women of America’s Steel Valley

The demise of the American steel industry has had a devastating effect on the towns the giant factories once called home. As bulldozers mow down the distinctive blast furnaces that once silhouetted...
PHILOSOPHY AND PHYSICS OF PREDEMONSTRATION FUSION DEVICES

A PDFD will operate in the 1980's and must provide the plasma and plasma support technology information necessary to warrant design, construction, and operation of succeeding experimental power reactors and then the demonstration plant. The PDFD must be prototypical of economic fusion devices to justify its cost. Therefore, development of the fusion core will be the focus of the PDFD. The physics performance, power production objectives, and characteristics of the PDFD, and their relationship to the research and development needs to achieve them are outlined. The design criteria for a PDFD which satisfied these constraints will be established.
Open Problem: The Oracle Complexity of Smooth Convex Optimization in Nonstandard Settings

First-order convex minimization algorithms are currently the methods of choice for large-scale sparse – and more generally parsimonious – regression models. We pose the question on the limits of performance of black-box oriented methods for convex minimization in non-standard settings, where the regularity of the objective is measured in a norm not necessarily induced by the feasible domain. This question is studied for `p/`q-settings, and their matrix analogues (Schatten norms), where we find surprising gaps on lower bounds compared to state of the art methods. We propose a conjecture on the optimal convergence rates for these settings, for which a positive answer would lead to significant improvements on minimization algorithms for parsimonious regression models. Let (E, ‖ · ‖) be a finite-dimensional normed space. Given parameters, 1 0, we consider the class F‖·‖(κ, L) of convex functions that are (κ, L)-smooth w.r.t. norm ‖ · ‖. One such function f : E→ R satisfies that ‖∇f(y)−∇f(x)‖∗ ≤ L‖x− y‖κ−1 ∀x, y ∈ E. Notice that the case κ → 1 corresponds essentially to nonsmooth (Lipschitz continuous) convex functions, and κ = 2 corresponds to smooth (with Lipschitz continuous gradients) convex functions. Given a convex body X ⊆ E, we are interested on the complexity of the problem class P = (F‖·‖(κ, L), X), comprised of optimization problems with objective f ∈ F‖·‖(κ, L) Opt(f,X) = min{f(x) : x ∈ X}. (Pf,X) We study a black-box oracle model where most algorithms based on subgradient computations can be implemented1. Here, an algorithm is allowed to perform queries x ∈ E, and for any such query the oracle returns Of (x) (e.g., for first-order methods, Of (x) = ∇f(x)). The only assumption on the oracle is locality: For any x ∈ E and f, g ∈ F such that there exists a neighborhood B(x, δ) where f ≡ g, then Of (x) = Og(x). Given T > 0, we consider an algorithm A whose output xT (A, f) is only determined by T (adaptive) oracle queries. We define the accuracy of algorithm A on an instance f as e(A, f) := f(xT (A, f)) − Opt(f,X), if xT (A, f) ∈ X , otherwise e(A, f) = ∞. We characterize optimal 1. Notable exceptions are methods exploiting explicit saddle-point description, e.g., the smoothing technique by Nesterov (2005). Note however that such algorithms do not give improvement in the smooth case.