cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structural social support and cardiovascular disease risk factors in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

ABSTRACTObjective(s): Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have yielded inconsistent findings on the associations of social support networks with cardiovascular health in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. We examined the cross-sectional associations of structural social support and traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes.Research Design and Methods: This analysis included 2994 adult participants ages 18–74 with diabetes from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL – 2008–2011). Select items from the Social Network Inventory (SNI) were used to assess indices of structural social support, i.e. network size (number of children, parents, and in-laws) and frequency of familial contact. Standardized methods were used to measure abdominal obesity, BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking status. Multivariate regression was used to examine associations of structural support with individual CVD risk...
Design, characterization, and multiplexed single-shot readout of a multi-qubit circuit for quantum simulation

We present the design and characterization of a multi-qubit circuit for quantum simulation experiments. Using the newly-developed Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier, we demonstrate simultaneous, multiplexed, single-shot readout of 8 transmon qubits.
Comparison of piezoresistive sensor to PicoPress® in in-vitro interface pressure measurement

ObjectiveInterface pressure, the sine qua non for compression therapy, is rarely measured in clinical practice and scientific research. The goal of this study aimed to compare and examine the accuracy between a commercially available piezoresistive sensor and PicoPress® (Microlab, Padua, Italy) using the cylinder cuff model to measure in-vitro interface pressure.MethodTen piezoresistive sensors were calibrated using the National Institute of Standard and Technology certified manometer, and compared to PicoPress® using cylinder cuff model from 20 to 120 mmHg. Two statistical analyses were performed: (a) two-sample t-test to compare the front to back surface of the piezoresistive sensors using mean pressure value and (b) one-sample paired t-test to compare the front and back surface of the piezoresistive sensors to PicoPress® and true pressure using mean pressure value.ResultThere was no difference in interface pressure measurement between the front and back surface of the piezoresistive sensors (P > 0.05)....
Quandary at National Health Company

National Health Company (NHC) became one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare during the early 2000s, through aggressive mergers and acquisitions. The company provides both in and out patient care such as convalescent care, rehabilitation, physical therapy, outpatient surgical centers, ultrasounds, mammograms, MRI’s, CT scans, and other medical services. The company’s rapid expansion initially resulted in a substantial amount of profit and success in the healthcare market. However it became increasingly difficult to maintain the growth and expansion in light of the economic climate, continued pressure from Medicare, the insurance companies to cut costs, competition from other health field carriers and the concern over potential government funded health care programs. As the NHC’s management failed to sustain the expected growth, its management resorted to other strategies that not only maintained the expectation of its shareholders, but would also allow management to keep their extravagant life style. In this case, we will follow the struggles and anguish faced by Karen Larson, NHC’s Chief Financial Officer, as she battles her way through making the right financial and corporate governance decisions and not to allow herself to be allured, by fancy titles, avarice and greed as well as upper management pressure placed before her. We will present not only the decisions she has to make but also the outcome of her decisions.
Semiconductor Heterostructures and Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures

In Chap. 4, we have introduced the basic concepts and formalism of quantum mechanics. In Chap. 0, we have determined the energy spectrum, or energy-momentum or E–k relations, for electrons in a crystal which governs their interaction with external forces and fields. Moreover, we saw that the quantum behavior of particles is best observed in small, typically nanometer scale (one billionth of a meter or 10−9 m) dimension structures, as illustrated in the example of a particle in a 1D box.
Histone Methyltransferase EZH2: A Therapeutic Target for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in females in the United States. There were an estimated 22,440 new cases and 14,080 deaths due to ovarian cancer in 2017. Most patients present with advanced-stage disease, revealing the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies targeting pathways of tumorigenesis and chemotherapy resistance. While multiple genomic changes contribute to the progression of this aggressive disease, it has become increasingly evident that epigenetic events play a pivotal role in ovarian cancer development. One of the well-studied epigenetic modifiers, the histone methyltransferase EZH2, is a member of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and is commonly involved in transcriptional repression. EZH2 is the enzymatic catalytic subunit of the PRC2 complex that can alter gene expression by trimethylating lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27). In ovarian cancer, EZH2 is commonly overexpressed and therefore potentially serves as an effective therapeutic target. Multiple small-molecule inhibitors are being developed to target EZH2, which are now in clinical trials. Thus, in this review, we highlight the progress made in EZH2-related research in ovarian cancer and discuss the potential utility of targeting EZH2 with available small-molecule inhibitors for ovarian cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(3); 591-602. ©2018 AACR.
Inference from the stationary distribution of allele frequencies in a family of Wright–Fisher models with two levels of genetic variability

The distribution of allele frequencies obtained from diffusion approximations to Wright-Fisher models is useful in developing intuition about the population level effects of evolutionary processes. The statistical properties of the stationary distributions of K-allele models have been extensively studied under neutrality or under selection. Here, we introduce a new family of Wright-Fisher models in which there are two hierarchical levels of genetic variability. The genotypes composed of alleles differing from each other at the selected level have fitness differences with respect to each other and evolve under selection. The genotypes composed of alleles differing from each other only at the neutral level have the same fitness and evolve under neutrality. We show that with an appropriate scaling of the mutation parameter with respect to the number of alleles at each level, the frequencies of alleles at the selected and the neutral level are conditionally independent of each other, conditional on knowing the number of alleles at all levels. This conditional independence allows us to simulate from the joint stationary distribution of the allele frequencies. We use these simulated frequencies to perform inference on parameters of the model with two levels of genetic variability using Approximate Bayesian Computation.
Abstract 13773: A Bias Corrected Net Reclassification Improvement for Clinical Subgroups

Comparing prediction models using reclassification within subgroups at intermediate risk is often of clinical interest and has been used extensively in the cardiovascular literature. We found the current method to be substantially biased towards false positive results. Consequently, we propose a method for obtaining an unbiased estimate for the Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI) evaluated only on a subset, or clinical NRI. To do this we derived the expected value of the clinical NRI under the null hypothesis of no improvement in prediction using the same principles as the overall NRI. Our bias-corrected estimate is shown, unlike the naive estimate commonly used in the literature, to be unbiased with a reasonable type 1 error. We applied our method to data from the Women9s Health Study, a prospective cohort of 24,171 female health professionals, comparing models for 10-year cardiovascular risk with and without high-density lipoprotein cholesterol using cut points at 5%, 10% and 20%, with risk between 5% and 20% as the subset of interest. The naive clinical NRI was 17.0% (95% CI 10.4 to 23.7) and the naive p-value was less than 0.001. However, the bias-corrected clinical NRI was 4.0%, with a p-value of 0.24 (95% CI -2.7 to 10.7). Our proposed method is an improvement over currently used methods of calculating the clinical NRI and is recommended to reduce overly optimistic results.
POVERTY AND INCOME INEQUALITY IN APPALACHIA

In a region that continues to be highly dependent upon federal spending (Gatrell & Calzonetti, 2003), public money matters.The contention that free market forces in and of themselves are sufficient to lift lagging regions out of poverty has gained great currency over the past two decades. Efficiency-enhancing measures and infrastructure investments have helped some Appalachian communities but not others. The abrupt reversal of declining income inequities between metro and nonmetro counties in the 1980s suggests that both income maintenance and investments in economic efficiency remain necessary for many rural Appalachian counties. In Central Appalachia, despite significant infrastructure investments, many communities still lack basic “nuts-and-bolts” infrastructure such as sewer and water systems. Continued federal involvement and income maintenance for rural counties are difficult propositions to advance in the current policy climate but appear to remain vital tools for the reduction of currently increasing subregional and metro/nonmetro economic differentials.
The Gnostic Zombie and the State of Nature: On Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead

This paper examines the political significance of the contemporary fascination with narratives of zombie apocalypse, focusing on the comics series The Walking Dead. The comic portrays a series of thwarted attempts by the main group of human survivors to escape the state of nature. My talk examines the political significance of this limitation within the narrative, relating it to the widespread sense of despair and helplessness that has overtaken capitalist liberal democracy in the wake of the global financial crisis. The series moves from no-win conflicts to intractable and tragic dilemmas, underscoring the waning of hopes for a better future and the fear of moving beyond an economic system that permits unlimited acquisition.
Understanding support for democracy in new and old democracies in the Americas: the role of democratic experience

This article develops and evaluates a set of expectations regarding the mechanisms via which democratic experience could shape support for democracy. In line with previous studies, one straightforw...
The role of cancer in marijuana and prescription opioid use in the United States: A population-based analysis from 2005 to 2014.

BACKGROUND For patients with cancer, marijuana may be an alternative to prescription opioid analgesics. This study analyzed self-reported marijuana and prescription opioid use among people with cancer over a 10-year time period. METHODS Population-based data sets from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2014 were compiled for respondents aged 20 to 60 years. Respondents with cancer and respondents without cancer were propensity score-matched (1:2) by demographics to compare substance use. Outcomes included current marijuana and prescription opioid use (ie, within the past 30 days). Pearson chi-square tests and logistic regressions were performed; a 2-tailed P value < .05 was significant. RESULTS There were 19,604 respondents, and 826 people with cancer were matched to 1652 controls. Among the respondents with cancer, 40.3% used marijuana within the past year, and 8.7% used it currently. Respondents with cancer were significantly more likely to use prescription opioids (odds ratio [OR], 2.43; 95% CI, 1.68-3.57; P < .001). Cancer was not associated with current marijuana use in a multivariable conditional logistic regression but was associated with current opioid use (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.17-2.82; P = .008). Among all survey respondents, the odds of marijuana use significantly increased over time (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10; P = .012), whereas the odds of opioid use did not significantly change. There were no significant differences in the longitudinal odds of marijuana or opioid use over time between respondents with a cancer diagnosis and those without one. CONCLUSIONS This population-based analysis revealed a considerable proportion of respondents with cancer self-reporting marijuana use (40.3%) and a significantly higher prevalence of opioid use among respondents with cancer. In the midst of an opioid epidemic, an evolving political landscape, and new developments in oncology, quantifying the prevalence of opioid and marijuana use in the US population, especially among patients with cancer, is particularly relevant. Although opioid use did not significantly change from 2005 to 2014 among all respondents, marijuana use did increase, likely reflecting increased availability and legislative changes. A cancer diagnosis did not significantly affect longitudinal opioid or marijuana use.
Surgical Treatment for FAI: Arthroscopic and Open Techniques for Osteoplasty

To review the relevant literature and techniques regarding arthroscopic and open treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). To discuss both the senior authors’ preferred method of arthroscopic and open treatment of FAI. Routine treatment of FAI has moved away from open techniques and is more focused arthroscopic methods. Arthroscopic treatment of FAI has more recently focused on differing techniques of hip access and capsular management. Open techniques still have a role in FAI, but indications for open management are focused on cases with more severe pathology. While arthroscopic techniques have shown better outcomes in the short term and higher return to play, it is not without risk and is a procedure with a steep learning curve. In cases of complex joint pathology, such as FAI coupled with dysplasia or Legg-Calve-Perthes, arthroscopy may be not indicated and an open approach preferred. We outline various techniques for both arthroscopic and open treatment of FAI and their outcomes when possible.
Identification of Stable Quantitative Trait Loci for Sheath Blight Resistance Using Recombinant Inbred Line

Abstract To identify stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) responsible for sheath blight resistance, a recombinant inbred line mapping population consisting of 219 lines was developed by crossing Lemont and Yangdao 4. Average disease rating, average lesion length, maximum disease rating and maximum lesion length were assayed in six different environments. A total of 128 minor effect QTLs were detected by multiple interval mapping. These QTLs explained less than 11.2% of the phenotypic variations individually, and 106 QTLs were clustered in 20 QTL-rich regions/putative loci. Significant QTL × environment interactions were detected at three putative loci (qSBR11.1, qSBR11.2 and qSBR11.3), indicating that these three loci were not stable. The other 17 stable loci (qSBR1.1, qSBR1.2, qSBR2.1, qSBR2.3, qSBR3.1, qSBR3.2, qSBR3.5, qSBR3.6, qSBR5.1, qSBR7.1, qSBR8.1, qSBR9.1, qSBR9.2, qSBR9.3, qSBR12.1, qSBR12.2 and qSBR12.4) provided a foundation for marker-assisted selection in breeding. Analysis of allelic effect on the 20 putative loci identified 7 highly stable loci, including qSBR3.2, qSBR7.1, qSBR8.1, qSBR9.2, qSBR9.3, qSBR12.1 and qSBR12.2.
Tension-Stabilized Coiling of Isotropic Tape Springs

Abstract A tape spring can be held tightly coiled on a circular cylinder by means of a tension force applied at the tip. This paper determines the smallest value of the required tension force by means of analytical methods, experiments and detailed numerical simulations. The minimum force depends on the coiling ratio, defined as the ratio between the transverse radius of the tape spring and the radius of the cylinder. It varies with an inverse quadratic relation for coiling ratios smaller than 1 (bending-dominated regime) and with a linear relation for coiling ratios greater than 3.424 (tension-dominated regime). For coiling ratios between 1 and 3.424 there is an intermediate behavior, and the required tension force is non-unique and rather small.
Submarine Groundwater Discharge and Stream Baseflow Sustain Pesticide and Nutrient Fluxes in Faga'alu Bay, American Samoa

It is increasingly recognized that groundwater discharge in the form of stream baseflow and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays an important role in contaminant transport. This study seeks to demonstrate the importance of groundwater flow for the distribution and transport of selected pesticides and nutrients in the Faga`alu aquifer on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa. Field measurements, including seepage runs and analysis of stream and groundwater for pesticides and nutrients, were combined with hydrological modeling. Selected analytes were glyphosate (GLY), dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), imidacloprid, and azoxystrobin for pesticides and chemical species of nitrogen, phosphate, and silicate for nutrients. Hydrological flow and transport models of the aquifer were built to simulate groundwater flow and to provide estimates of GLY and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) fluxes. Stream baseflow was responsible for 59% and SGD for 41% of groundwater flow to the bay, which totaled 6,550 m3/d in the dry season when surface runoff was negligible. DDT was found in 85% and GLY in 100% of tested samples. SGD and baseflow thus delivered 9 g/d of DDT, 0.9 g/d of GLY, 570 g/d of DIN and 840 g/d of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) into Faga’alu Bay. While all pesticide levels are below environmental limits, their presence in baseflow and SGD, which discharge continuously year-round, result in sustained fluxes of GLY and DDT to the reef. The presence of DDT in groundwater decades after its last application confirms its long-term environmental persistence.
Stochastic Feedforward Neural Networks: Universal Approximation.

In this chapter we take a look at the universal approximation question for stochastic feedforward neural networks. In contrast to deterministic networks, which represent mappings from a set of inputs to a set of outputs, stochastic networks represent mappings from a set of inputs to a set of probability distributions over the set of outputs. In particular, even if the sets of inputs and outputs are finite, the class of stochastic mappings in question is not finite. Moreover, while for a deterministic function the values of all output variables can be computed independently of each other given the values of the inputs, in the stochastic setting the values of the output variables may need to be correlated, which requires that their values are computed jointly. A prominent class of stochastic feedforward networks which has played a key role in the resurgence of deep learning are deep belief networks. The representational power of these networks has been studied mainly in the generative setting, as models of probability distributions without an input, or in the discriminative setting for the special case of deterministic mappings. We study the representational power of deep sigmoid belief networks in terms of compositions of linear transformations of probability distributions, Markov kernels, that can be expressed by the layers of the network. We investigate different types of shallow and deep architectures, and the minimal number of layers and units per layer that are sufficient and necessary in order for the network to be able to approximate any given stochastic mapping from the set of inputs to the set of outputs arbitrarily well.
Foreign Born Populations and Unemployment in the United States: Myth or Reality?

Immigration to the United States has played a crucial role in the founding and development of the nation. However, there has also been a consistent trend of native born United States citizens to pin employment struggles on new immigrant populations. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election and the rhetoric espoused about immigrants, the relationship between new immigrant populations and employment has continued. Is there a relationship between areas with high foreign born populations and high unemployment? By conducting a regression analysis using U.S. Congressional districts as the unit of analysis, I find that there does appear to be a statistically significant relationship between areas with high foreign born populations and high unemployment rates. However, there appears to be a more statistically significant and larger change in the unemployment rate caused by median family incomes and the commuting time to work. I concluded that efforts to better address transportation systems in the United States and addressing income inequality will be more effective at solving unemployment issues than divisive rhetoric towards immigrants. I also recommend that policy initiatives to better integrate new immigrants into U.S. society be studied to curb the relationship between high unemployment areas and high foreign born populations.
24 – Miscellaneous tumors

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of pathology, clinical features, diagnostic evolution, staging, and treatment of miscellaneous tumors. Germ cell tumors are neoplasms that develop from primordial germ cells of the human embryo, which are normally destined to produce sperm or ova. The tumors are more common in the ovaries and testes than extragonadal sites. The malignant histologic variants of germ cell tumors in order of increasing malignant behavior are germinoma, immature teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, endodermal sinus tumor, and choriocarcinoma. The signs and symptoms are dependent on the site of origin: lungs, liver, regional nodes, central nervous system, and bone and bone marrow. The treatment strategies given to the patients of tumors depend on: histologic subtype, site of origin, and stage of disease. The common treatments proposed are radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Hepatoblastoma accounts for approximately two-thirds of liver tumors. Hepatomas are divided into two major histologic type hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. The most common symptom of primary liver malignancies is an upper abdominal mass or generalized abdominal enlargement. The diagnostic evaluation should determine the extent of intrahepatic disease, potential for hepatic respectability, and presence or absence of extrahepatic disease. The most effective therapeutic modality for hepatoma is complete resection. Chemotherapy plus radiation therapy may be effective in permitting initially unresectable disease to become respectable and liver transplantation is used in selected cases.
CXCR4 Antagonists for the Treatment of CML

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-based targeted therapy has improved clinical outcomes in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to an extent unrivaled in other hematologic malignancies. Targeted therapy elicits durable remissions but does not eradicate leukemic stem cells (LSCs), the reservoir of CML. Recurrence of active leukemia is the predictable result upon cessation of therapy, even in the best responders. Interactions between LSCs and the bone marrow microenvironment are thought to mediate disease persistence in vivo, despite effective inhibition of BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase, the molecular driver of CML. Homing and engraftment of CML LSCs in the absence of therapy is characterized by an exaggerated dependence on the CD44 homing receptor and reduced dependence on C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) compared to normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In fact, high-level BCR-ABL expression leads to downregulation of CXCR4. Recent evidence suggests that successful TKI-based targeting of BCR-ABL restores reliance on CXCR4 and its ligand, stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), for trafficking and homing of CML LSCs to the bone marrow. Perturbation of the CXCR4/SDF-1 interaction with CXCR4 antagonists can promote egress of CML LSCs and progenitor cells from the bone marrow niche, potentially increasing their susceptibility to targeted and conventional purging strategies. Targeting of CXCR4/SDF-1 interactions represents a promising therapeutic avenue and is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Here, we explore the role of CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling in the ­navigation of CML LSCs within the bone marrow microenvironment and summarize pre-clinical and clinical development of CXCR4 antagonists for use in extending the practical limit of targeted therapy to disease eradication, the ultimate goal in the treatment of CML.
Imprint of Trace Dissolved Oxygen on Prokaryoplankton Community Structure in an Oxygen Minimum Zone

The Eastern Tropical North Pacific (ETNP) is a large, persistent, and intensifying oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) that accounts for almost half of the total area of global OMZs. Within the OMZ core (~350-700 m depth), dissolved oxygen is typically near or below the analytical detection limit. Steep oxygen gradients above and below the OMZ core lead to vertical structuring of microbial communities that also vary between particle-associated (PA) and free-living (FL) size fractions. Here, we use 16S amplicon sequencing (iTags) coupled with multivariate statistics to analyze the diversity and distribution of prokaryotic populations between FL and PA size fractions and among the range of existing redox conditions. Nonmetric Dimensional Scaling (nMDS) revealed that bacterial and archaeal phylogenetic representations were significantly different between size fractions. Based on analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) and iTag profiles, composition of PA assemblages was less influenced by the prevalent depth-dependent biogeochemical regime than the FL fraction. Trace oxygen concentrations (~0.33 M) were present throughout the OMZ core at our sampling location. Consequently, nitrite accumulations typically reported for OMZ cores were absent. Furthermore, sequences for anammox bacteria (Brocadiales genus Candidatus Scalindua), commonly found at oxic-anoxic boundaries in other systems, were not recovered here. However, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) distributions and maximal autotrophic carbon assimilation rates (1.4 µM C d-1) coincided with a pronounced ammonium concentration maximum near the top of the OMZ core. In addition, members of the genus Nitrospina, a dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were present suggesting that both ammonia and nitrite oxidation occur at almost undetectable oxygen concentrations. We conclude that the presence of trace oxygen in the OMZ core of this region of the ETNP OMZ is sufficient to support active nitrification.
Application of prescription examination in management of antimicrobial agents in hospital

Objective To investigate the application value of prescription examination in the management of antimicrobial agents in hospital. Methods The prescriptions of antibacterials were examined, the irrational use of drugs was counted, and the application value of drug prescription examination in the management of antibacterial drugs in hospital was discussed. Results A total of 488 960 prescriptions were examined, including 133 534 prescriptions for antimicrobial agents, and 27.31% for antimicrobial agents.Unqualified antibiotics use prescription in 60 086, unqualified rate was 45.00%, among them not standard prescription in 108, occupied 0.18%, medication unsuitable prescription in 59 907, occupied 99.70%, exceed prescription in 71, occupied 0.12%. Conclusion There is an irrational use of antibiotics in outpatient service, and the examination of antibacterial prescription should be strengthened so as to improve the level of rational use of antibiotics in hospital. Key words: Drugs prescriptions; Antibacterial agents
The characteristics and outcomes of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis admitted to the ICU with acute respiratory failure.

Abstract Background To date, studies have provided conflicting results regarding the outcomes of patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) admitted to the ICU with acute respiratory failure (ARF). Objective To understand the characteristics and outcomes of these patients. Methods Retrospective study using a large single-center ICU database. We identified 48 unique patients with IPF admitted for ARF from 2001-2012. Results The most common causes of ARF were IPF exacerbation and pneumonia. The overall hospital mortality rate was 43.8% and was 56.7% in those who required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). In patients requiring IMV for IPF exacerbation, the mortality rate was 81.3%. In multiple regression analysis, the presence of diabetes mellitus was associated with decreased mortality whereas the need for IMV was associated with increased mortality. Conclusions Although the overall mortality rate for IPF patients with ARF has improved, the need for IMV due to IPF exacerbations is associated with increased mortality.
P64 Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program Improves Dietary Intake and Health Beliefs of At-Risk Pediatrics and Caregivers

Objective Examine the effectiveness of a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription (FV Rx) program for at-risk children and caregivers. Use of Theory or Research Higher fruit and vegetable intakes have been associated with reduced risk of chronic disease. Growing evidence supports the use of FV Rx programs to improve fruit and vegetable consumption among participants. Additional research is needed to determine effects of such programs on pediatric patients and caregivers. Target Audience Pediatric patients deemed to be at risk of diet-related chronic disease, and their caregivers. Program Description Participants screened by clinicians were prescribed fruits and vegetables for 6 months (October 2018-March 2019). Caregivers received a FV Rx card ($60 per month) to purchase produce at participating stores and were offered nutrition education and grocery shopping classes. Evaluation Methods Surveys were administered to collect demographic data; pre/post caregiver and child dietary intake; pre/post attitudes, beliefs, and health status (Likert scale); and overall experience participating in the program. Percent of participants reporting increased dietary intake or a positive shift on the Likert scale from pre- to post-program was recorded. Results Ninety-four dyads completed pre/post surveys (children: age 8.9 ± 5.0, 50% males, 78.5% Hispanic). Most families (60%) were currently receiving or had received SNAP benefits in the past and used FV Rx cards once or twice a month (57%). Caregivers reported participating stores were easy to get to (88%), and they felt comfortable using the card (69%). Caregivers reported positive shifts in children's dietary intake including fruits (62%), green leafy salad (56%), and beans (45%). More adults met the dietary guidelines for fruit (59%) and vegetable intake (25%) post-program vs pre-program (37% fruit, 6% vegetable). Caregivers (42-57%) also reported positive shifts in perceived personal and child health and diet status. Conclusions By increasing access and affordability of healthy foods through a FV Rx program in clinical settings, children and their caregivers can make positive shifts to improve dietary intake and health beliefs which may reduce risk of chronic disease.
An Introduction to the Special Issue: Family Violence and Youth Violence – Examining the Connections from Interdisciplinary Perspectives (an Extension of Anna Costanza Baldry’s Legacy)

Family violence and youth violence have received a significant amount of research attention over the years. A large body of research findings has substantiated a significant association between experiences in family violence, such as maltreatment and exposure to parental violence, and youth violence, such as bullying, fighting, dating violence, gang violence. In honor of the late Dr. Anna Costanza Baldry, this special issue brings together scholars from a variety of disciplines (psychology, criminal justice, social work, and health science) to explore how family violence and youth violence are interrelated.
Pericardial effusion with tamponade - an uncommon presentation leading to the diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis polyangiitis: A case report.

Background Eosinophilic granulomatosis polyangiitis (EGPA) is a small vessel necrotizing vasculitis that commonly presents as peripheral eosinophilia and asthma; however, it can rarely manifest with cardiac involvement such as pericarditis and cardiac tamponade. Isolated pericardial tamponade presenting as the initial symptom of EGPA is exceedingly rare. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial to prevent life-threatening outcomes. Case summary 52-year-old woman with no past medical history presented with progressive dyspnea and dry cough. On physical exam she had a pericardial friction rub and bilateral rales. Vital signs were notable for tachycardia at 119 beats per minute and hypoxia with 89% oxygen saturation. On laboratory exam, she had 45% peripheral eosinophilia, troponin elevation of 1.1 ng/mL and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide of 2101 pg/mL. TTE confirmed a large pericardial effusion and tamponade physiology. She underwent urgent pericardial window procedure. Pericardial and lung biopsy demonstrated eosinophilic infiltration. Based on the American College of Radiology guidelines, the patient was diagnosed with EGPA which manifested in its rare form of cardiac tamponade. She was treated with steroid taper and mepolizumab. Conclusion This case highlights that when isolated pericardial involvement occurs in EGPA, diagnosis is recognized by performing pericardial biopsy demonstrating histopathologic evidence of eosinophilic infiltration.
Market Conduct in the U.S. Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry

Product differentiation is well established as being the key source of the cereal industrys high price-cost margins. However, there is little consensus as to whether pricing collusion is also a source of profitability, and indeed, whether price even serves as a strategic variable in this industry. This paper seeks to resolve this debate by determining whether cereal firms strategically interact on price, and if so, estimating the extent that this increases margins relative to what perfect collusion among firms could achieve. Firms are estimated to cooperate on price to the extent that margins are 2.5 percentage points higher than what is possible under a Nash-Bertrand game. This raises margins by about 43% of what could be achieved under a perfectly executed agreement to fix prices. The results are consistent with studies in the literature that characterize the industrys pricing as "approximately cooperative."
A 'Pop'ular 'Corn'panion to Making Your Movie Experience 'Butter' Together

What do we want the most of in this COVID-19 social isolation period? - Companionship, entertainment, and popcorn. We present 'Crunchy': a Human-Popcorn Interaction (HPI) based social robotic movie-companion. Crunchy is designed with the intent of minimizing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Crunchy's personality and reactions are imagined to provide popping interactions, making the worst-rated comedies enjoyable or the scariest movies even more intense. We discuss interaction scenarios, initial concepts for Crunchy's design, and future plans to either pursue developing Crunchy or using it to inform the development of prospective desktop social robots.
Alagille Syndrome: A Focused Review on Clinical Features, Genetics, and Treatment.

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by pathogenic variants in JAG1 or NOTCH2, which encode fundamental components of the Notch signaling pathway. Clinical features span multiple organ systems including hepatic, cardiac, vascular, renal, skeletal, craniofacial, and ocular, and occur with variable phenotypic penetrance. Genotype–phenotype correlation studies have not yet shown associations between mutation type and clinical manifestations or severity, and it has been hypothesized that modifier genes may modulate the effects of JAG1 and NOTCH2 pathogenic variants. Medical management is supportive, focusing on clinical manifestations of disease, with liver transplant indicated for severe pruritus, liver synthetic dysfunction, portal hypertension, bone fractures, and/or growth failure. New therapeutic approaches are under investigation, including ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitors and other approaches that may involve targeted interventions to augment the Notch signaling pathway in involved tissues.
Immunological assays of hemocytes in the Northern Quahog Mercenaria mercenaria

Abstract The northern quahog Mercenaria mercenaria (commonly named hard clam) is an important aquaculture and fishery species along the Atlantic west coast. Environmental stresses, such as heat shock, fluctuating salinity, and harmful algal blooms are major challenges for clam aquaculture. In response to environmental stresses, hemocytes would change dynamically for defense and immunity. The goal of this study was to characterize basic immunological assays of hemocytes in the northern quahog by use of flow cytometry. The objectives were to: 1) develop a non-lethal method for hemolymph collection and dilution; 2) verify the capability of flow cytometry for hemocyte count and type identification through comparison with microscopic observation; 3) validate hemocyte viability assay based on plasma membrane integrity, and 4) develop hemocyte phagocytosis assay by use of fluorescein labeled microbeads. A non-lethal hemocyte collection method was developed using needle insertion through the ligament. Osmolality measurement of serum was the same as that of culture seawater. The pH measurement of serum (7.2) was significantly different from that of culture seawater (8.4). By microscopic observation, three types of hemocytes were identified with granulocytes, the dominant cell type (70 ± 16%), agranulocyte (14 ± 4%), and blast-like cell (16 ± 4%), and no differences were found from the measurements by flow cytometer on FSC/SSC plot (cell size/granularity). The viability of hemocytes based on plasma membrane integrity was 88 ± 6% ranging from 70 to 97% (n = 60, three populations), and viability protocol was further validated with the pre-set expected viability (p ≥ 0.424). Phagocytosis assay of hemocytes with fluorescence beads showed a mean capacity of 10 ± 5% (n = 60, three populations). Incubation time (up to 6 h) or bead concentrations (2:1 or 5:1 to hemocytes) did not affect the phagocytosis measurement. Overall, this study reported the basic characteristics of hemolymph (serum and hemocytes) of northern quahogs. It is expected that the assay methodologies will be applied to evaluation of hemocyte responses to environmental stresses for clam aquaculture.
Vaccine Coverage Across the Life Course in Michigan During the COVID-19 Pandemic: January‒September 2020

Objectives. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immunization services across the life course. Methods. In this retrospective study, we used Michigan immunization registry data from 2018 through September 2020 to assess the number of vaccine doses administered, number of sites providing immunization services to the Vaccines for Children population, provider location types that administer adult vaccines, and vaccination coverage for children. Results. Of 12 004 384 individual vaccine doses assessed, 48.6%, 15.6%, and 35.8% were administered to children (aged 0-8 years), adolescents (aged 9-18 years), and adults (aged 19â105 years), respectively. Doses administered overall decreased beginning in February 2020, with peak declines observed in April 2020 (63.3%). Overall decreases in adult doses were observed in all settings except obstetrics and gynecology provider offices and pharmacies. Local health departments reported a 66.4% decrease in doses reported. For children, the total number of sites administering pediatric vaccines decreased while childhood vaccination coverage decreased 4.4% overall and 5.8% in Medicaid-enrolled children. Conclusions. The critical challenge is to return to prepandemic levels of vaccine doses administered as well as to catch up individuals for vaccinations missed. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(11):2027-2035. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306474).
Spectral Convergence of Symmetrized Graph Laplacian on manifolds with boundary.

We study the spectral convergence of a symmetrized Graph Laplacian matrix induced by a Gaussian kernel evaluated on pairs of embedded data, sampled from a manifold with boundary, a sub-manifold of $\mathbb{R}^m$. Specifically, we deduce the convergence rates for eigenpairs of the discrete Graph-Laplacian matrix to the eigensolutions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator that are well-defined on manifolds with boundary, including the homogeneous Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. For the Dirichlet problem, we deduce the convergence of the \emph{truncated Graph Laplacian}, which is recently numerically observed in applications, and provide a detailed numerical investigation on simple manifolds. Our method of proof relies on the min-max argument over a compact and symmetric integral operator, leveraging the RKHS theory for spectral convergence of integral operator and a recent pointwise asymptotic result of a Gaussian kernel integral operator on manifolds with boundary.
Degradation and Synthesis of ATP

ATP is degraded (Figure 5.1) by sequentially hydrolyzing the three phosphoryl groups to form adenosine. Adenosine is then deaminated to form inosine. Finally the glycosidic bond joining the ribose and the purine ring is cleaved, forming hypoxanthine. These degradative reactions occur in both myocytes and non-myocytes; however, the activities of the enzymes converting adenosine to inosine, inosine to hypoxanthine and hypoxanthine to xanthine (not shown) are so much higher in non-myocytes that most of their metabolism occurs in these cells and in the extracellular space, not the myocyte. There is another pathway leading to adenosine production, the S-adenosylhomocysteine pathway (where methionine is converted to homocysteine); however, most of the adenosine in the normal heart is made from AMP.
The formalities of evil and a finite god-corregenda

Unfortunately, some errors and unclarities are to be found in my recent paper.1 Fortunately, these problems can be easily corrected without affecting the thrust of my argument. In this note I will first specify what these problems are and then re-state the argument in a way that avoids the problems. First, I attributed to Walton a premise slightly different from the one he actually holds. I said that Walton assumes:
Eating and exercise behaviors and attitudes of southwestern anglos and Hispanics

Abstract In order to investigate cultural differences in attitudes and behaviors related to eating, exercise and weight, we gave an anonymous questionnaire to 328 Southwestern adults, 42% of whom were Hispanic. The Hispanics tended to have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) than the Anglos, reflecting a greater weight gain since age 20; similarly, males showed a greater BMI and weight gain than females. Anglos indicated that they exercised more than Hispanics, believed more in the ability to control one's weight through exercise and other means, believed more that thinner people have lower blood pressure, felt less that Americans are too concerned about weight, knew more about weight control and cared somewhat more about nutrition than did Hispanics. Women were somewhat more likely than men to eat in the presence of many antecedent cues and more likely to provide consequences for their eating behaviors. People who were older were likely to show more healthful scores on several measures of eating behaviors, le...
Signal processing for Big Data

We live in an era of data deluge. Pervasive sensors collect massive amounts of information on every bit of our lives, churning out enormous streams of raw data in various formats. Mining information from unprecedented volumes of data promises to limit the spread of epidemics and diseases, identify trends in financial markets, learn the dynamics of emergent social-computational systems, and also protect critical infrastructure including the smart grid and the Internet's backbone network. While Big Data can be definitely perceived as a big blessing, big challenges also arise with large-scale datasets. The sheer volume of data makes it often impossible to run analytics using a central processor and storage, and distributed processing with parallelized multi-processors is preferred while the data themselves are stored in the cloud. As many sources continuously generate data in real time, analytics must often be performed “on-the-fly” and without an opportunity to revisit past entries. Due to their disparate origins, massive datasets are noisy, incomplete, prone to outliers, and vulnerable to cyber-attacks. These effects are amplified if the acquisition and transportation cost per datum is driven to a minimum. Overall, Big Data present challenges in which resources such as time, space, and energy, are intertwined in complex ways with data resources. Given these challenges, ample signal processing opportunities arise. This tutorial lecture outlines ongoing research in novel models applicable to a wide range of Big Data analytics problems, as well as algorithms to handle the practical challenges, while revealing fundamental limits and insights on the mathematical trade-offs involved.
Number of ideals

The main relationships with our earlier functions are: |U1tA| ≤ |IdA| and 2sA ≤ |IdA|; both of these facts are obvious. Also recall the deep Theorem 10.10 from Part I of the BA handbook: if A is an infinite BA, then |IdA| ω = |IdA|. This result is due to Shelah [86b]; there he also proves that if κ is a strong limit cardinal of size at most |A|, then |IdA|<κ = |IdA|. Note that |UltA| < |IdA| for A the finite-cofinite algebra on an infinite cardinal κ.