cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal assessment of fibrinogen in relation to subclinical cardiovascular disease: the CARDIA study

Summary. Objective: To examine the strength of the associations of fibrinogen with subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy persons. Methods: A population-based, prospective, observational study of black and white men and women (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults [CARDIA]). Fibrinogen levels were measured at year 7 (ages 25–37, n = 2969), and again at year 20 (ages 38–50, n = 2832). Measures of subclinical atherosclerosis (coronary artery calcification [CAC] and carotid intimal-medial thickness [CIMT]) were recorded at year 20. Results: Over the 13-year study interval (1992–1993 to 2005–2006), fibrinogen rose from a mean of 3.32 to 4.05 g L−1. After adjusting for age, gender and race, fibrinogen was positively associated with greater incidence of CAC and increased CIMT cross-sectionally as well as after 13 years of follow-up (all P-trend < 0.001). After further adjustment for field center, BMI, smoking, education, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, antihypertensive medication use, total and HDL cholesterol, and CRP, significant positive relationships between fibrinogen and incidence of CAC remained for the total cohort longitudinally (P-trend = 0.037), but not cross-sectionally (P-trend = 0.147). Conclusion: This 13-year study demonstrates that higher levels of fibrinogen during young adulthood are positively associated with incidence of CAC and increased CIMT in middle-age, but the strength of the association declines with increasing age.
Restraining Orders in California A Look at Statewide Data

The authors tabulated statewide administrative data for all types of restraining orders. On June 6, 2003, there were 227,941 active restraining orders against adults in California; most were for domestic violence. Rates of restraining orders (i.e., restrained persons) were highest for men, African Americans, and 25- to 34-year-olds. In 72.2% of the orders, a woman was to be protected and a man was to be restrained; in 19.3%, the restrained and protected persons were of the same sex. Although state law prohibits the purchase or possession of a firearm by persons against whom a restraining order is issued, 9.2% of the orders documented no firearm restrictions.
Cancer coverage in general-audience and Black newspapers.

This article presents findings from the first study of cancer news coverage in a national sample of Black and general-audience newspapers. We compared 2,439 health news stories from 23 weekly Black newspapers to 2,767 health news stories from a constructed week sample of 12 daily general-audience newspapers, both collected between April 1, 2004, and March 31, 2005. Analyses examined differences in the amount and nature of cancer coverage, specifically cancer sites, disparities, localization, and personally mobilizing health information for readers. Cancer was the main topic in a higher proportion of health stories in Black newspapers than in general-audience newspapers (13.6% vs. 9.6%; p = .001). Among cancer stories, those in Black newspapers had more localization (p = .004), disparity information (p = .001), and personal mobilization information (p = .001) than those in general-audience newspapers. In neither type of newspaper did the distribution of stories by cancer site accurately reflect the impact ...
Note-A Re-Examination of the Results of Hogarth and Makridakis' The Value of Decision Making in a Complex Environment: An Experimental Approach

This note raises questions about two of the results of Hogarth and Makridakis Hogarth, R. M., S. Makridakis. 1981. The value of decision making in a complex environment: An experimental approach. Management Sci.27 93-107. based on a lack of statistical support and inadequate consideration of the effect of team starting position on performance. Using bootstrapping simulation and regression analyses which specifically consider team starting position, we find 1 support for Hogarth and Makridakis' finding that a consistent strategy outperforms a random one, and 2 statistical disconfirmation for their second finding, that consistently managed arbitrary teams perform quite well in comparison with human management teams.
Orbital Interaction Analysis for the Electronic Structures of Low-Dimensional Solids

The concept of orbital interaction has been extremely fruitful in understanding various molecular structure and reactivity problems [1]. In recent years, structural and electronic properties of numerous crystalline solids have also been examined by orbital interaction analysis [2–6]. This approach has been invaluable in identifying analogies between discrete molecules and extended solids in their structural and electronic properties [2(1), 3(d), 3(e)]. Orbital interaction analysis provides a qualitative conceptual framework of understanding both molecular and solid-state problems, and therefore is indispensable in building true bridges of comprehension between chemistry and physics associated with solid-state materials.
Flirting with the Gods: UFUMA Wo/Men's Religious Mobility in Historical Perspective

The Ufuma-Igbo wo/men of Southeastern Nigeria are notorious for courting various religious groups in their lifetimes. In fact, the majority patronize two or more groups at the same time. This migratory phenomenon and the increasing case of reversions to indigenous religion motivate this study. Drawing on oral history and written/archival documents, it explores religious mobility in Ufuma from pre-colonial times to the present. This research at the crossroads of religion and gender probes the ideological structures that foster spiritual mobility across denominations and faiths, with broad implications for the deeper meaning of conversion to indigenous wo/men. It probes the conditions that shape Ufuma wo/mens varying choices about which church to patronize or abandon and the reversion of Christians back to indigenous religion, highlighting the potency of core indigenous beliefs and demonstrating the enduring connection between religion and power in Ufuma history. In the pre-colonial period, socio-spiritual motifs were evidenced in the willful courting and abandoning of the religious shrines that had shaped Ufuma religious loyalties. In the post-colonial era, articulations of power and authorityideas not divorced from indigenous cosmologypropel denominational mobility and provoke the phenomenon of reversion.
A human analogue of discrimination contrast: S− contrast as a function of magnitude of S+

In the present study, two groups of human Ss received differential reward conditioning for accurately tracing red or blue star patterns. A control group received only small reward in both discriminanda. The present study replicated the findings of previous animal and human studies in that a significant negative S− contrast effect was found. In addition, it was shown that this effect increased as a function of the magnitude of reward in the S+ discriminandum. The latter finding has been obtained previously with infrahuman Ss but evidently not with human Ss; hence, the generality of negative discriminative contrast effects have been extended significantly.
Pseudo-3D Electrical Resistivity Investigation of an Area in Proximity to the Tumbling Creek Cave, Taney County, Missouri

Three pseudo-3D ERT data sets were acquired at the southeast area of the Tumbling Creek Cave, Tane y County, Missouri. The objective of the study was to better delineate subsurface geologic structures and the hydrologic processes in the discharge area of the creek. The top of bedrock was mapped and the orientations of prominent dissolution-widened joints were delineated in the study area. The ERT results showed the bedrock was dissected by prominent joints trending in the north, northeast and northwest directions in the area. The jointing patterns observe d are consistent with the flow patterns exhibited by the Tumbling creek and other creeks around the study area. It is a standard practice in geophysical investigations to constrain geophysical interpretations with ground truth. But due to the unavailability of boring control in the study area, the interpretation of the ERT data was based on results of previous ERT studies in southern Missouri.
Start/Stop and Local H2 Starvation Mechanisms of Carbon Corrosion: Model vs. Experiment

This paper discusses fundamental models developed to predict cathode carbon support corrosion induced by start-stop and local H2 starvation in a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell. The model incorporating the electrode pseudo-capacitance agrees well with controlled start/stop experiments. When the pseudo-capacitive effect is included, the model not only captures the difference in CO2 evolution between start and stop, but also matches the measured spatially resolved mass activity and limiting current distribution of the damaged cathode electrode. For long H2/air-front residence times during start/stop, commonly used in accelerated materials tests, the electrode damage predicted by the capacitive model is similar to that predicted by previously published models that neglect pseudo-capacitive effects. However, for application relevant shorter residence times, significantly lower damages are predicted when capacitive effects are included, consistent with experiments. Because local H2 starvation occurs on a longer time scale, pseudo-capacitive effects are less significant.
Profile Sampling To Characterize Particulate Lead Risks in Potable Water

Traditional lead (Pb) profiling, or collecting sequential liters of water that flow from a consumer tap after a stagnation event, has recently received widespread use in understanding sources of Pb in drinking water and risks to consumer health, but has limitations in quantifying particulate Pb risks. A new profiling protocol was developed in which a series of traditional profiles are collected from the same tap at escalating flow rates. The results revealed marked differences in risks of Pb exposure from one consumer home to another as a function of flow rate, with homes grouped into four risk categories with differing flushing requirements and public education to protect consumers. On average, Pb concentrations detected in water at high flow without stagnation were at least three to four times higher than in first draw samples collected at low flow with stagnation, demonstrating a new “worst case” lead release scenario, contrary to the original regulatory assumption that stagnant, first draw samples con...
Target residues from the interaction of copper with 35 MeV/nucleon 12C ions.

Target residues from the interaction of copper with 35 MeV/nucleon /sup 12/C ions have been studied by off-line ..gamma..-ray spectroscopy. Cross sections, average forward ranges, and forward-to-backward ratios were measured for 35 products. The data were used to obtain the isobaric yield distribution, the mass yield distribution, and the longitudinal momentum transfer. The results are compared with other studies of the interaction of copper with intermediate-energy projectiles and with various models.
Identification and preliminary molecular characterization of an atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strain from Fujian

An atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli(aEPEC) strain,firstly documented in Fujian,was isolated from a fecal specimen of a fatal infant case in October,2010.The purpose of this study was to investigate characterization of this pathogenic strain,facilitating further research on aEPEC.A variety of assays were performed,including routine systematic biochemical identification,serotyping,antibiotics sensitivity tests,PCR amplification of virulent genes,and sequence analysis of eaeA gene.Biochemical characterization indicated this isolate was Escherichia coli,not agglutinating with typical EPEC antisera available.Antibiotic resistance tests showed susceptible to most drugs;PCR detection of virulent genes revealed eaeA+,bfp-,stx1-,stx2-,ehxA-,paa-;BLAST results of partial sequenced eaeA gene indicated identical to the eae gene for intimin of Escherichia coli EHEC and EPEC.Therefore,routine biochemical assays,molecular diagnosis and sequence analysis confirmed this strain was the first identified aEPEC isolate in Fujian,and extensive investigation should be conducted to survey its virulence-associated genes and address virulent markers of aEPEC isolates.
DEGRADATION OF A CARBON STEEL IN A FBC SYSTEM FIRING COALS CONTAINING SULFUR AND CHLORINE

Degradation of A210 C carbon steel was investigated after 1000 h exposure under a laboratory-scale fluidized-bed combustor (FBC) firing three different coals respectively:low S (0.97 mass%) and C (0.026 mass %) coal,low S (1.68 mass %) and high Cl (0.42 mass %) coal,and high S (4.48 mass %) and CI (0.41 mass%) coal.There were several observations:(1) Degradation is strongly temperature dependent,which significantly increases with increase of the surface temperature of the metal,(2) erosion induced by flying particles makes a great contribution to metal recession,(3) the environment by firing the low S and low Cl coal is the slightest aggressive,while the one firing the high S and high Cl coal is the most corrosive.Morphological evidences obtained in the work are helpful to interpret the effect of the coal-fired atmospheres on the recession of the carbon steel.
Medical management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a serious ailment that afflicts nearly one million people in the U.S. alone. The medical management of this disorder currently includes salicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive therapy, and symptomatic treatment with antidiarrheal agents, although several promising new drugs have been developed. The epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, and medical management of the disease are discussed in this article.
Malpais spring virus: a new vesiculovirus from mosquitoes collected in New Mexico and evidence of infected indigenous and exotic ungulates.

Abstract Two virus isolates, 1 each from Aedes campestris and Psorophora signipennis mosquitoes collected in south central New Mexico in August 1985, were shown by neutralization tests to be identical to each other, but not to any of more than 250 arthropodborne and other viruses. Electron microscopy of 1 isolate (85-488NM, chosen as the prototype) indicated that this strain shares morphologic characteristics with viruses of the family Rhabdoviridae. Indirect fluorescent antibody tests indicated that this virus is a member of the genus Vesiculovirus, but is not closely related to any of the North American or other rhabdoviruses with which it was tested, including vesicular stomatitis (Indiana) and vesicular stomatitis (New Jersey) viruses. The name Malpais Spring virus is proposed for this newly recognized vesiculovirus. A serologic survey indicated that Malpais Spring virus infects indigenous (mule deer and pronghorn) and exotic (gemsbok) ungulates at and near the sites where the mosquitoes from which the virus strains were isolated were collected. Antibody prevalence in wild animals indicates that the pronghorn and gemsbok may play roles as hosts for Malpais Spring, epizootic hemorrhagic disease (New Jersey), and bluetongue viruses in this area.
The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding. By Eric Nelson. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2014. Pp. i, 390. $29.95.)

In the standard narrative, American revolutionaries were radical Whigs who fought for independence under the banner of republicanism. After all, the revolution was a rebellion against British royal...
Apple State Aid Ruling: A Wrong Way to Enforce the Benefits Principle?

Following an in-depth investigation formally launched in June 2014, the European Commission has recently concluded that Ireland granted tax benefits of up to €13 billion to Apple in violation of the State aid rules. As a result, Ireland must now recover the illegal aid. That decision has been sharply criticized by Jack Lew, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, who believes only the Internal Revenue Service has the right to tax Apple’s foreign income, since most of the company’s research and development took place in the US. However, that is not the way the big EU countries, where sales are made, see things. Who is right? To whom does the income belong? This paper seeks to answer those questions by analyzing the impact of “Check-the-Box” regulations and EU Directives on profit shifting from high-tax countries like the U.K. and Germany to Luxembourg, the Caymans or other jurisdictions with lower or no taxes on certain items of income. Thus, the Apple case might be seen as an attempt to improve source-based taxation of active income, in response to the void that Treasury Department inadvertently or deliberately created in 1996 by weakening subpart F rules at the expense of EU trading partners.
Medical Management of CME Associated with Diabetes

The management of diabetic macular edema (DME) has significantly evolved over the last 30 years. Beginning with the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), several trials have evaluated new treatments for DME. Currently, the medical management of DME includes systemic risk factor modification, topical medications, intraocular steroids, and anti-VEGF medications. While the ideal treatment regimen has not been identified, there are several effective options for the ophthalmologist to use in the treatment of DME.
Impact of transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic shunt on post liver transplantation outcomes: Study based on the United Network for Organ Sharing database.

Impact of transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic shunt on post liver transplantation outcomes: Study based on the United Network for Organ Sharing database
The impact of environmental, parental and child factors on health-related behaviors among low-income children

Abstract Multi-level factors act in concert to influence child weight-related behaviors. This study examined the simultaneous impact of variables obtained at the level of the home environment (e.g., mealtime ritualization), parent (e.g., modeling) and child (e.g., satiety responsiveness) with the outcomes of practicing healthy and limiting unhealthy child behaviors (PHCB and LUCB, respectively) in a low-income U.S. sample. This was a cross sectional study of caregivers of preschool children (n = 432). Caregivers were interviewed using validated scales. Structural equation modeling was used to examine associations with the outcomes. Adjusting for study region, demographics and caregiver’s body mass index, we found significant associations between PHCB and higher mealtime ritualizations (β: 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11; 0.32, more parental modeling (β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.27; 0.49) and less parental restrictive behavior (β: −0.19, 95% CI: −0.29; −0.10). More parental covert control (β: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.35; 0.54), more parental overt control (β: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03; 0.25) and less parental permissive behavior (β: −0.25, 95% CI: −0.34; −0.09) were significantly associated with LUCB. Findings suggest the synergistic effects of mealtime ritualizations and covert control at the environmental-level and parental modeling, overt control, restrictive and permissive behavior at the parent-level on the outcomes. Most factors are modifiable and support multidisciplinary interventions that promote healthy child weight-related behaviors.
Fluidic Self-Centering Devices as Elements of Seismically Resistant Structures: Description, Testing, Modeling, and Model Validation

AbstractFluidic self-centering devices operate on principles similar to those of fluid viscous dampers, but with additional capabilities to provide recentering force (or preload) and stiffness. The...
Sexual Dimorphism of Pupal size in Calliphorid Carrion Feeders (Diptera:Calliphoridae)

Chrysomyia rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera:Calliphoridae) and Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (Diptera:Calliphoridae) are two Calliphorid carrion feeding species of significant importance in forensic investigations. Pupal weight was predicted to be an effective indicator of sex and species identification between the two related species when reared in a laboratory. In order to test the effectiveness, wild maggots of both species were reared and the pupae of their offspring were weighed and sexed. There was no significant weight difference found between male and female pupae of both species. However when each species was compared to the other, it was observed that male and female pupae of Ch. rufaficies weighed significantly more than their C. macellaria counterparts. These results could simplify the identification of species at the pupal stage, thereby expediting research involving the two species.
Aesthetic Judgment in Law

Almost no one thinks the government should decide what counts as art or what has aesthetic value. But the government often does so, and often, it should. State actors — from judges and legislators down to customs officials and members of local zoning boards — make aesthetic judgments every day, in areas ranging from tax and tariff law to obscenity and public-funding decisions, from historic preservation and land-use regulations to copyright, trademark, and patent law. This Article details the breadth and surprising philosophical depth of the law’s engagement with aesthetic questions. And bucking conventional wisdom, it argues that in many areas of law, government should define artistic categories and promote aesthetic values. The usual reasons for treating aesthetic judgment as what Justice Holmes famously called a “dangerous undertaking” turn out to be bad ones. Arguments based on the expertise of judges or the subjectivity of aesthetic judgment are not just unconvincing, they are in tension with one another. And the one persuasive argument — derived from the First Amendment’s prohibition on government-imposed orthodoxies — applies only as far as the First Amendment itself does. This Article offers a framework for deciding when the First Amendment limits aesthetic judgment in law. And in doing so, it also identifies appropriate sites of aesthetic judgment — places where we need more open debate about the substantive aesthetic values we want the law to endorse.
Construction of an Anthropomorphic Phantom for Use in Evaluating Pediatric Airway Digital Tomosynthesis Protocols.

Interpretation of radiolucent foreign bodies (FBs) is a common task charged to pediatric radiologists. The use of a motion compensated technique to decrease breathing motion on images would greatly decrease overall exposure to ionizing radiation and increase access to treatment yielding a great impact on clinical care. This study reports on the methodology and materials used to construct an in-house anthropomorphic phantom for investigating image quality in digital tomosynthesis protocols for volumetric imaging of the pediatric airway. Availability and cost of possible substitute materials were considered and simplifying assumptions were made. Two different modular phantoms were assembled in coronal slab layers using materials designed to approximate a one- and three-year-old thorax at diagnostic photon energies for use with digital tomosynthesis protocols such as those offered on GE’s VolumeRAD application. Exposures were made using both phantoms with inserted food particles inside an oscillating airway. The goal of the phantom is to help evaluate (1) whether the currently used protocol is sufficient to image the airway despite breathing motion and (2) whether it is not, to find the optimal protocol by testing various commercially available protocols using this phantom. The affordable construction of the pediatric sized phantom aimed at optimizing GE’s VolumeRAD protocol for airway foreign body imaging is demonstrated in this study which can be used to test VolumeRAD’s ability to image the airways with and without a low-density foreign body within the airways.
Visibility based multi-agent surveillance strategies in decentralized network

In this paper, we address the problem of decentralized visibility-based target tracking for a team of mobile observers trying to track a team of mobile targets. Based on the results of previous work, we address the problem when the graph that models the communication network within the team of the obsrevers is not complete. We propose a hierarchical approach. At the upper level, each observer is allocated to a target through a local minimum cost matching. At the lower level, each observer computes its navigation strategy based on the results of the single observer-single target problem, thereby, decomposing a large multi-agent problem into several 2- agent problems. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the proposed strategy in simulations and experiments.
Comfort Decision Modeling

We introduce comfort decision modeling for decision problems in which an alternative is to be selected based on a measure of satisfaction we refer to as comfort. We define comfort as the difference...
John Stillé, Jr.: Accounting Records of a Successful 18th Century Philadelphia Merchant

ABSTRACT The examination of John Stille, Jr.'s accounting and business records from his early career in the late 18th century uncovers historical and economic events of the day and how these events...
Unrecognized Osteoporosis Is Common in Patients With a Well-Functioning Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Peri-prosthetic fractures after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are associated with poorer outcomes and high costs. We hypothesize that osteoporosis is under-recognized in the TKA population. The purpose of this study is to report osteoporosis prevalence in a healthy cohort of patients with well-functioning TKA and to compare prevalence between males and females. Methods This study is a cross-sectional study of 30 adults (15 males/15 females) aged 59-80 years without known bone health issues who volunteered to undergo routine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry 2-5 years (average 3.2 ± 0.8) after primary unilateral TKA. These data plus clinical risk factors were used to estimate fracture risk via the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool and skeletal status (normal, osteopenic, osteoporotic) was determined based on the World Health Organization definition. The National Osteoporosis Foundation criteria for treatment were applied to all patients. Results Six of 30 (20%) patients had T-score ≤ −2.5. Eighteen of 30 (60%) patients had T-score between −1 and −2.5 and 6 (20%) patients had T-score ≥ −1. Five patients with normal or osteopenic bone mineral density (BMD) had occult vertebral fractures. Eleven of 30 (36.7%) patients met National Osteoporosis Foundation criteria for pharmacologic treatment. Conclusion The prevalence of occult osteoporosis meeting treatment guidelines after TKA is substantial in this sample (36.7%). BMD and osteoporosis prevalence are similar between men and women. This underappreciated prevalence of osteoporosis may contribute to peri-prosthetic fracture risk. Arthroplasty surgeons and bone health specialists must be aware of post-operative changes in bone density. These data support the further study of post-operative osteoporosis and consideration of routine BMD screening after TKA. Level of Evidence III.
Electrostatic interaction energy between two coaxial parallel uniformly charged disks

Abstract We calculate exactly the electrostatic interaction energy between two coaxial parallel uniformly charged infinitely thin disks. For the sake of generality, it is assumed that the disks have different radii and contain different amounts of total electric charge. The results derived when expressed in one-dimensional integral form are very suitable for numerical calculations. An explicit analytical formula is provided for the electrostatic interaction energy between two disks with same radius in terms of a family of special functions known as complete elliptic integrals. The results obtained are applicable to various electrostatic models including the case of a circular parallel plate capacitor.
Uronic acid pathway metabolites regulate mesenchymal transition and invasiveness in lung adenocarcinoma.

Metastatic transition results in the greatest morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer (1). Metastasis is a step-wise process that results in local extravasation and hematological dissemination of epithelial tumors (1). Local extravasation involves remodeling extracellular matrix (ECM) coupled with cellular invasion, a process promoted by epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is a complex cellular reprogramming event resulting in dissolution of mucosal tight junctions, loss of apical-basal polarity, reorganization of the cytoskeleton promoting motility and secretion of ECM-modifying proteins (2,3). In epithelial tumors, EMT is triggered by its local stromal microenvironment, including inflammatory cytokines, presence of hypoxia and secretion of epithelial growth factors. Understanding the factors controlling EMT in stem-ness, metastatic potential, chemotherapy resistance and how EMT can be modulated to affect cancer metastasis have been the focus of intense investigation.
The impact of endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric adenocarcinomas in the United States

Abstract Recent studies show promise for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the United States, but do not identify the potential impact of ESD among newly diagnosed gastric cancers. We utilize the Veterans Health Administration to identify cancers suitable for ESD, to define the role of ESD in the United States. Retrospective cohort study using the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry to identify patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgical resection from 1995 to 2018. TNM stage was used to categorize those who would meet absolute vs expanded indications for ESD. Primary outcome was lymph node status. Secondary analysis was performed with death as outcome. Of 12,584 primary gastric cancers, 4735 (37.6%) were nonmetastatic gastric adenocarcinomas. Median age at diagnosis was 70.3 years, 4676 (98.8%) male. Total 2306 (48.7%) underwent surgical resection, of which 636 (27.6%) were T1 lesions or cancer in situ. Of these, 44 (6.9%) met absolute indications for resection, 99 (15.6%) met established expanded criteria, and 98 (15.4%) may meet expanded criteria. Half of all tumors in each group were proximal in location. Rate of lymph node positivity was: 4.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5-15.5% in absolute group; 8.1%; 95% CI: 3.6-15.3% in expanded group; 13.3%; 95% CI: 7.3-21.6 in those potentially meeting expanded criteria. Lymph nodes positivity was associated with death (hazard ratio 1.49; 95% CI: 1.36-1.62, P
Viewpoint – Handwashing and COVID-19: Simple, right there…?

COVID-19 is a disease with no proven pharmaceutical intervention and no proven vaccine. In such circumstances, prevention is all we have. The role of handwashing in the prevention of communicable diseases has been known for over a century, yet it remains severely neglected as a public health investment, to be periodically re-discovered during pandemic-scale infections. Over 26% of the global population has no access to a handwashing station in the home; for many low-income countries this proportion rises to over 50%. In other instances, the water is unaffordable or the supply has been shut off on account of unpaid bills. But when there is no water in the home or yard, or no mechanism for delivering enough water, good hand-washing is extremely difficult. Well before COVID-19, global cost-benefit analyses of water and sanitation investments, with benefits measured in time-savings as well as health, showed significant net benefits in all sub-regions of the developing world. This Viewpoint paper argues that, in the current crisis and its aftermath, it is imperative for governments and donors to prioritize and generously fund affordable, reliable, and accessible water services in underserved regions of the world. More than ever before, this is a foundational investment for health, dignity and development.
College Openings, Mobility, and the Incidence of COVID-19 Cases

Most U.S. colleges have reopened campuses for in-person teaching this Fall, following rapid closures at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this Spring. Despite administrative efforts at mitigation and preventive measures, the large congregation of students within close quarters has caused public health concerns. In this paper, we examine college reopenings9 association with changes in human mobility within campuses and in COVID-19 incidence in the counties of the campuses, over a two-week period before and after college reopenings. To estimate the daily reproduction number (Rt), we used a Bayesian framework. Using a difference-in-differences design comparing areas with a college campus, before and after reopening, to areas without a campus, we find that after college reopenings for face-to-face instruction, COVID-19 incidence in the county increased on average by a statistically significant 0.024 per thousand residents, following increases in mobility on campus. Similarly, we estimated increased transmission locally after reopening, with a rising trend in Rt. The increase in cases was larger in counties with colleges that drew students from areas with increasing incidence rates.
Surgical staging, the meaning of life, and other existential ponderings.

Countless academics have contemplated life’s many unanswered questions. What existed before the universe? Will we ever discover life on other planets? Does free will truly exist? Why does a round pizza come in a square box? For years gynecologic and radiation oncologists have pondered the question
Pions in Proton Structure and Everywhere Else

The pion cloud is important in nuclear physics and in a variety of low-energy hadronic phenomena. We argue that it is natural to expect it to also be important in lepton-proton deep inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan studies of proton structure. We compute the necessary consequences of the pion cloud in connection with the recent SeaQuest data. The effects are detailed by using the exact kinematics of the experiment. Excellent agreement with the measurements is obtained. Thus the universality of pionic effects is understood.
Online or In-Person Instruction? Factors Influencing COVID-19 Schooling Decisions Among Latinx Families in Houston, Texas

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, families have faced a difficult decision between online and in-person instruction. In many school districts, a higher proportion of non-White families selected onl...
Csr (Rsm) System and Its Overlap and Interplay with Cyclic Di-GMP Regulatory Systems

Free-living bacteria must respond rapidly to changing environmental and physiological conditions to survive stresses, maintain homeostasis and growth, and compete with other species. This chapter describes recent evidence of shared regulatory targets and interconnections between two global regulatory systems that antagonistically influence bacterial lifestyle choices by governing surface properties, biofilm development, motility, and in many species, virulence factors. The CsrD protein, which triggers the turnover of CsrB and CsrC RNAs by RNaseE, contains degenerate GGDEF and EAL domains but does not synthesize or degrade cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). The chapter illustrates the interactions of Csr and its interplay with c-di-GMP global regulatory systems. Various features of the Csr (Rsm) system have been the subjects of previous reviews. BarA-UvrY homologs, which are present in many gram-negative bacteria, are variously known as Gac, Var, Exp, and Let two-component signal transduction system (TCS), and also work in conjunction with Csr systems. Importantly, the BarA-UvrY system also activates rpoS transcription in E. coli, possibly through DNA binding by the response regulator UvrY. Synthesis of c-di-GMP from two GTPs is catalyzed by diguanylate cyclases (DGC) that contain the GGDEF (DUF-1) domain. A recently discovered c-di-GMP binding element is not a protein but a riboswitch. This c-di-GMP binding RNA domain or aptamer was originally identified as a conserved GEMM sequence motif (genes for the environment, membranes, and motility) in the 5'-untranslated segment of numerous mRNAs involved in c-di-GMP metabolism, virulence, motility, and pilus formation.
Magnetoencephalography: Epilepsy and Brain Mapping

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) directly measures the magnetic fields created by neural electrical activity. Unlike functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which detects a tertiary effect of neural activation (change in local blood oxygenation level due to a change in blood flow), MEG is a more direct measure of brain functional activity. The temporal resolution of MEG is determined by the rate at which data rate can be acquired, and current systems are more than capable of acquisition speed that allows real-time assessment of brain function (typically up to 12-kHz sampling). This includes normal endogenous oscillatory activity (such as alpha oscillations in the occipital lobes) and isolated “spikes” or bursts of electrical discharges in the setting of epilepsy, both requiring temporal resolution measured on a millisecond scale. The high temporal resolution also allows for the determination of propagation of brain activity, to aid in the identification of epileptogenic foci in the setting of rapid generalization.
Specification and Synthesis of Interface Logic

High-level specifications of digital circuits consist of two major components: the internal computations that the circuit must perform and the external signalling the circuit must use to communicate with its environment. The first of these components has received the overwhelming majority of the attention in high-level synthesis research. Much progress has been made and tools are now available that can translate an internal or data-flow specification into a register-transfer level implementation. By contrast, the interface component has received very limited attention even though it is crucial to integrating the circuit into an environment that will put it to use.
Terahertz Non-destructive Evaluation of Textile Ropes and Slings

Terahertz (THz) technology has shown great promise for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) applications in manufacturing, security screening, and medical imaging. This work expands the scope of THz NDE, demonstrating its use as a new and innovative method for NDE of nylon ropes and slings. The strength of ropes and slings is compromised when grains of sand or sea salt become deeply embedded between the rope strands and wear away at its nylon threads. Until now, inspections of nylon rope has been limited to subjective observations of the surface because the textile material is opaque to visible light. In this paper, the authors present THz imaging as a new NDE modality with the capability to map the 3D distribution of the sand and salt contaminants located within textile ropes and slings. The first THz tomographic images of salt and sand embedded within nylon webbing are presented and a design concept for a prototype THz rope scanner is introduced and discussed. Military and civilian organizations alike would benefit from this innovative approach, as it will protect personnel and cargo from previously unseen hazards.
SEASONS & SEA CHANGES: WEATHERING THE STORM, AN ENCOURAGING TALE

Legal education is not immune to the realities of the marketplace. With declining applications, fewer jobs, and more and more demands from students, accrediting bodies, politicians, and employers (to name just a few), law schools and law deans are adjusting their expectations and programs to stay competitive and relevant. Managing the demands (realistic or not) of all of the constituencies who are a part of the greater law school universe, in good times, can be tricky. Trying to do so, when resources — some of which you control and others which you do not — are scarce can be complicated.One thing is for sure. Change is inevitable. Predictability is not the constant, change is. No matter what we do, things will never be the same. This is a season of change. Lest you think that I am pessimistic about the future of legal education, let me go on record and say that I am not. Just as during the Great Depression, panics, and other recessions, when great companies including Procter and Gamble, General Motors, IBM, and FedEx, rose like the phoenix out of the ashes, those who know how to innovate, weather the storm, and prepare for after the storm will be great exemplars of success. I am not suggesting that this will be easy. The measure of success may not be exactly the same for everyone. However, it is time that thoughtful legal professionals and educators — who have mastered the facts and who are dedicated to this great enterprise, which has been the gold standard around the world for training lawyers — come together and set out on a course that will not only benefit the next generation of lawyers, but will also continue to have multiple dividends for communities around this globe. But first, we must get through the storm.
Monolithic integration of dual layer optics on broad area semiconductor lasers

A broad area InGaAs semiconductor laser diode with two monolithically integrated optical elements, a 275 nm period diffraction grating and multilevel refractive lens, is presented. We discuss the potential of dual optics integration for beam shaping of high power lasers and amplifiers.
Demonstration by fluorescence resonance energy transfer of two sites of interaction between the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein and the amyloid precursor protein: role of the intracellular adapter protein Fe65.

Amyloid-β, the major constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer9s disease, is derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by proteolysis. Kunitz protease inhibitor (KPI) containing forms of APP (APP751/770) interact with a multifunctional endocytic receptor, the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), which modulates its proteolytic processing affecting production of amyloid-β. We used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) using labeled LRP and APP in H4 cell line to examine the subcellular localization and the molecular domains involved in the APP-LRP interaction. KPI-containing forms of APP (APP770) demonstrated FRET with LRP that was sensitive to the LRP inhibitor receptor-associated protein (RAP), suggesting an interaction between the extracellular domains of APP770 and LRP. APP695 also interacts with LRP to lesser degree (as measured by extracellular domain probes), and this ectodomain interaction is not altered by RAP. By using C-terminally tagged LRP and APP, we demonstrate a second site of interaction between the C termini of both APP695 and APP770 and the C terminus of LRP, and that the interactions at these regions are not sensitive to RAP. We next examined the possibility that the C-termini APP-LRP interaction was mediated by Fe65, an adaptor protein that interacts with the cytoplasmic tails of LRP and APP. FRET studies confirmed a close proximity between the amino Fe65 phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain and LRP cytoplasmic domain and between the carboxyl Fe65 PTB domain and the APP cytoplasmic domain. These findings demonstrate that LRP interaction with APP occurs via both extracellular and intracellular protein interaction domains.
Identification of two groups of smoldering multiple myeloma patients who are either high or low producers of interleukin-1.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is abnormally expressed by the plasma cells obtained from myeloma patients, and it is a potent inducer of the important myeloma growth factor, IL-6. We investigated whether levels of IL-1β biologic activity might distinguish different groups of patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM). We measured the ability of IL-6 production by bone marrow stromal cells to serve as a surrogate marker for IL-1β biologic activity. Using this IL-1β bioassay, we found that it is sensitive at < 1 pg/ml of recombinant IL-1β and that IL-1β biologic activity is detectable with either mature or pro-IL-1β-transduced myeloma cell lines. Patients with active myeloma induced quantitatively higher levels of stromal cell IL-6 production when compared with those with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). The bioassay distinguished two groups of SMM patients, those who were high producers, similar to patients with active MM, and those who were low producers, comparable to MGUS patients...
The chemisorption of methylhydrazine on Pd/Al2O3: evidence for the preparation of surface bound alkyldiazenato (CH3NN+) fragments

Abstract Qualitative transmission infrared evidence is presented to show that the adsorption of methylhydrazine (H3CNHNH2) on Pd/Al2O3 at 325 K leads to the formation of a methyldiazenato (H3CNN+) surface fragment. Although methylhydrazine contains only single bonds, its adsorption at 325 K leads to the appearance of a vibrational peak near 1950 cm−1 where peaks for triple bonds are uniquely found. This proposed structural change is consistent with organometallic chemistry literature reports that describe the products of similar alkylhydrazine reactions with metal complexes as alkyldiazenato ligands. Literature reports of similar surface reactivity exclude alternate interpretations. This result illustrates how interesting stoichiometric processes on surfaces can be identified through the study of precedents within the organometallic chemistry literature.
Time-variant filtering of signals in the mixed time frequency domain

A new approach to the problem of time-variant filtering is presented. This approach is based upon the generation of the mixed time-frequency representation (MTFR) of a signal, multiplication of that representation by a time-frequency function H(ω,t), and obtaining a filtered output by an inverse operation. The resultant filter is linear if the time-frequency representation used is the complex spectrogram. In contrast, the filter is nonlinear if the Wigner distribution function is used. Not every function of two variables is an allowed MTFR of a signal; some conditions must be satisfied. If the function produced by the product of the signal MTFR and the filter function is not an allowed MTFR, an approximation based on projection onto the space of allowed MTFR functions is investigated. This approximation yields a filtered function whose MTFR is as close as possible (in the least-squared sense) to the desired.
Breast cancer screening and incidence in communities with a high proportion of uninsured.

Background Research has not established (1) if breast cancer screening varies by county-level proportion of uninsured or (2) whether county-level-proportion of uninsured correlates with county-level early-stage and late-stage breast cancer incidence. Methods A multilevel study was conducted to determine if individual-level self-reported breast cancer screening data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was associated with county-level-proportion–uninsured data from the 1999–2001 BRFSS. An ecologic study was conducted to determine if county-level proportion of uninsured correlated with incidence of early-stage and late-stage breast cancer using the 1999–2001 BRFSS data from the overlapping counties in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Data were analyzed in 2005. Results Women were less likely to be screened (prevalence odds ratio: 0.95; 95% confidence interval=0.93–0.97) with every 5% increasing county-level proportion of uninsured. African-American and Hispanic women who resided in counties with a proportion of uninsured of 9%–19% had higher screening utilization than white non-Hispanic women. The county-level-proportion of uninsured had little effect on screening use among women with household incomes less than $25,000 or greater than $75,000. Screening prevalence decreased with increasing county-level proportion of uninsured among women with intermediate income. The rate of T1 ( Conclusions High county-level proportions of uninsured may lead to lower early-stage breast-cancer incidence through lower screening use among women living in these less-well-insured counties.