cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Socio-economic status, racial composition and the affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods of a large rural region in Texas.

Background: Little is known about how affordability of healthy food varies with community characteristics in rural settings. We examined how the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables varies with the economic and demographic characteristics in six rural counties of Texas. Methods: Ground-truthed data from the Brazos Valley Food Environment Project were used to identify all food stores in the rural region and the availability and lowest price of fresh whole fruit and vegetables in the food stores. Socioeconomic characteristics were extracted from the 2000 U.S. Census Summary Files 3 at the level of the census block group. We used an imputation strategy to calculate two types of price indices for both fresh fruit and fresh vegetables: a high variety and a basic index; and evaluated the relationship between neighborhood economic and demographic characteristics and affordability of fresh produce, using linear regression models. Results: The mean cost of meeting the USDA recommendation of fruit consumption from a high variety basket of fruit types in our sample of stores was just over $27.50 per week. Relying on the three most common fruits lowered the weekly expense to under $17.25 per week, a reduction of 37.6%. The effect of moving from a high variety to a low variety basket was much less when considering vegetable consumption: a 4.3% decline from $29.23 to $27.97 per week. Univariate regression analysis revealed that the cost of fresh produce is not associated with the racial/ethnic composition of the local community. However, multivariate regression showed that holding median income constant, stores in neighborhoods with higher percentages of Black residents paid more for fresh fruits and vegetables. The proportion of Hispanic residents was not associated with cost in either the univariate or multivariate analysis. Conclusion: This study extends prior work by examining the affordability of fresh fruit and vegetables from food stores in a large rural area; and how access to an affordable supply of fresh fruit and vegetables differs by neighborhood inequalities. The approach and findings of this study are relevant and have important research and policy implications for understanding access and availability of affordable, healthy foods.
Daytime Boundary Layer Evolution over Mountainous Terrain. Part II: Numerical Studies of Upslope Flow Duration

Abstract Numerical simulators of upslope flow forming on the lee side of a heated mountain ridge showed this flow to be a transient phenomenon, in agreement with observations. The simulations, performed with a two-dimensional, dry version of the cloud model of Tripoli and Cotton, included a nocturnal inversion layer (cold pool) and ridgetop winds. Cross sections of potential temperature and vertical profiles of potential temperature and horizontal winds reproduced observations well. Runs with and without the inversion layer showed that this layer was important in the formation of upslope winds near the ground when ridgetop-level winds were present: the runs without an inversion layer never developed upslope flow on the lee slopes. Runs in which the upper-level winds were varied showed that the duration of the upslope flow on the lee slope bore an inverse relationship to upper-level wind speed: runs with stronger winds had shorter-lived upslope flow. A set of observations from South Park, Colorado supporte...
Small and Medium Enterprise Development in Kyrgyzstan: Informal Communications and the Role of Women

This paper is intended for those interested in the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Kyrgyz Republic. This paper is based on the results of anthropological research conducted by the University of Central Asia’s Institute of Public Policy and Administration from October 2013 to March 2014. This paper highlights issues related to informal channels of communications for building business relationships; the role of women in the development of small and medium-sized businesses; and the degree of influence of the development of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) on the infrastructure in the capital city of Bishkek.
Physiology in Perspective: Why Do We Continue to Ignore Sex Differences?

In 2001, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences issued a report in which they highlighted the importance of exploring sex differences in biomedical research and medical practice. The IOM report recognized the obvious biological fact that sex, as defined by the presence
Thermal Interaction between Laser and Micro-mirrors

MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) offer a cost-effective device technology to fabricate micromirrors for spatial light modulators [1,2].
Mid-Century Cairene Movie Posters, Urban Space, and Resistance to the West

In the decade after the revolution of 1952, Egyptian films often echoed the political ideals of the new regime—and the movie posters produced in conjunction with those films sometimes embodied officially articulated attitudes toward Western influence and Egyptian history. This article considers a range of discursive strategies in examples of surviving posters produced in the 1950s and early 1960s but concentrates primarily on the representation of women in relation to public space—and it argues, ultimately, that the posters formed part of a broad attempt to define a traditionally and uniquely Egyptian public domain, in opposition to Western influence, in modern Cairo.
Imaging of Chronic Pancreatitis: A Synopsis

Radiologic imaging has become essential in the diagnosis and evaluation of patients with chronic pancreatitis. The primary techniques include the cross-sectional modalities of ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR), as well as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and angiography.
Oxygen Uptake and Heart Rrte during Work on the Bicycle Ergometer with One and Both Legs

Nine healthy young male subjects performed low level exercises (20, 40, 60 W) on bicycle ergometers with one leg and both legs. Their oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate were measured during one- and both-leg exercises. Both the V02 and the heart rate were significantly higher during one leg than during both legs at each work load. There was no difference in correlation between heart rate and V02 in cases of one leg and both legs exercises.
Non-stationary blind super-resolution

In this paper, we propose a new framework for parameter estimation of complex exponentials from their modulations with unknown waveforms via convex programming. Our model generalizes the recently developed blind sparse spike deconvolution framework by Y. Chi [1] to the non-stationary scenario and encompasses a wide spectrum of applications. Under the assumption that the unknown waveforms live in a common random subspace, we recast the problem into an atomic norm minimization framework by a lifting trick, and this problem can be solved using computationally efficient semidefinite programming. We show that the number of measurements for exact recovery is proportional to the number of degrees of freedom in the problem, up to polylogarithmic factors. Numerical experiments support our theoretical findings.
Landmarks in medicine.

Reference is made to the empiric methods of the practice of medicine in ancient times. Epidemics were rampant centuries ago; a few are discussed. Causes of death several decades ago are compared with causes of death today. The seriousness of accidental deaths, particularly those due to automobile accidents, is emphasized. A few social problems related to medicine are presented.
Recent developments in antiviral chemotherapy.

SUMMARY As can be seen from the preceding brief discussion, the prospects for new antiviral agents for the treatment of viral diseases ranging in severity from the common cold to AIDS appear promising. The latest advances in technologies such as crystallography, genetic engineering, and monoclonal antibodies are all being applied to the discovery of new ways to inhibit virus-specific processes. In addition, the development of diagnostic tests for viral diseases has proceeded at a rapid pace that should facilitate the proper use of the antivirals when they become available. The one lesson that has been learned in the antiviral field over the past decade is that virus-specific inhibitors do exist, and if an essential virus-specific process or protein can be identified, it is likely that a molecule can be found to inhibit or inactivate it.
Synthesis and Structure of Na2Cu2ZrS4

Abstract The new compound Na 2 Cu 2 ZrS 4 has been synthesized through direct reaction of the elements with an Na 2 S n flux at 375°C. The structure has been determined by single-crystal X-ray methods. The compound crystallizes in space group C 3 2 h - C 2/ m of the monoclinic system with two formula units in a cell of dimensions a = 13.657(9), b = 3.720(3), c = 7.025(5) A β = 112.44(3)deg; ( T = 113 K). The structure is composed of 2 ∞ [Cu 2 ZrS 4 2- ] layers separated by Na + cations. A 2 ∞ [Cu 2 ZrS 4 2- ] layer is composed of pairs of CuS 4 tetrahedra alternating with ZrS 6 octahedra.
Abstract 5: Do Stroke Centers Reduce Mortality for Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke? An Instrumental Variable Analysis

Background: Although the establishment of stroke centers based on the Brain Attack Coalition recommendations has great potential to improve quality of stroke care, little is known about whether stroke centers improve health outcomes such as mortality. Methods: Using 2005-2006 New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System data, we identified 32,783 hospitalized patients age 18+ with a principal diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke (ICD-9 433.x1, 434.x1 and 436). We compared in-hospital mortality and up to one year all-cause mortality between New York State Designated Stroke Centers and non-stroke center hospitals. Because patients were not randomly assigned to hospitals, stroke centers might treat different types of patients than other hospitals (a selection effect). We used a “natural randomization” approach, instrumental variable analysis (differential distance was the instrument), to control for this selection effect. To determine whether the mortality difference was specific to stroke care, we repeated the analysis using a different group of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage (N=53,077). Results: Of the 32,783 stroke patients, nearly 50% (16,258) were admitted to stroke centers. Stroke centers had lower unadjusted in-hospital mortality and 30-, 90-, 180-, and 365-day all-cause mortality than non-stroke centers (7.0% vs. 7.8%, 10.0% vs. 12.6%, 14.6% vs. 17.5%, 18.0% vs. 21.0%, 22.4% vs. 26.2%, respectively). After adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, comorbidities, and the patient selection effect, stroke centers were associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality. The adjusted differences were -2.6%, -2.7%, -1.8%, and -2.3% for 30-, 90-, 180- and 365-day mortality (all p<0.05). The adjusted difference in in-hospital mortality was -0.8% but was not statistically significant. In a specificity analysis of patients with GI hemorrhage, stroke centers had slightly higher mortality. Conclusions: Hospitals that are Designated Stroke Centers had lower mortality for acute ischemic stroke than non-stroke center hospitals. The mortality benefit was specific to stroke and was not observed for GI hemorrhage. Providing stroke centers nationwide has the potential to reduce mortality.
Predictive biomarkers for the death receptor targeted cancer therapies

T death receptors (DRs) TNFR1, Fas/CD95, DR4 and DR5 are attractive targets for cancer treatment. When expressed on cell surface, they can transduce death signals from their cognate ligands such as TNFα, Fas ligand, and TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL). Multiple clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the antitumor activities of the recombinant forms of human TNFα variants, Fas/CD95 ligand, TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its agonistic antibodies. However, concerns about drug resistance in tumor cells are shifting the emphasis toward the identification of predictive biomarkers as well as effective combination therapies. Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms involved in cancer drug action and resistance. This presentation highlights our recent findings in molecular determinants of TRAIL resistance and the implication in discovery of biomarkers for prediction of tumor sensitivity to the DR-dependent therapies.
Bloomberg Outage Could Open Doors to Alternatives

It does not take much to send financial markets up or down. A report from the Federal Reserve, a release of consumer data, a jobs report, political news, or even weather reports (like a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico) and result in a jump or fall in the stock, bond or commodities markets depending on the perceived impact of the news. But it takes lot to actually shut down those markets. For a few hours in the early morning of Friday, April 17, something happened which–while not completely shutting the markets down–had nearly the same effect. Bloomberg went down. Specifically, the servers that operate a global array of some 320,000 financial data, analytics, real-time news and instant messaging terminals shut down and was off line for a several hour period. The outage happened near the end of the Asian markets trading day on Thursday, April16th. The outage hit the US markets before dawn hours on the early morning of Friday, the 17th but impacted the European markets as they were opening or during their heaviest business hours. In tweets from its Twitter feed, Bloomberg blamed thought “disruption” to an “internal network issue”, and denied that it was the result of hacking or other external attack.
Elegit summary

Many thanks to SIGCSE for the Special Projects Grant for our Git tool, Elegit. We used the funding from this grant to pay for a student to work during the summer of 2016 doing development on the tool and, as a result, we made significant progress. Elegit is now available at elegit.org for download and use by the community.
Reducing chemical exposures at home: opportunities for action

Indoor environments can influence human environmental chemical exposures and, ultimately, public health. Furniture, electronics, personal care and cleaning products, floor coverings and other consumer products contain chemicals that can end up in the indoor air and settled dust. Consumer product chemicals such as phthalates, phenols, flame retardants and per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances are widely detected in the US general population, including vulnerable populations, and are associated with adverse health effects such as reproductive and endocrine toxicity. We discuss the implications of our recent meta-analysis describing the patterns of chemical exposures and the ubiquity of multiple chemicals in indoor environments. To reduce the likelihood of exposures to these toxic chemicals, we then discuss approaches for exposure mitigation: targeting individual behaviour change, household maintenance and purchasing decisions, consumer advocacy and corporate responsibility in consumer markets, and regulatory action via state/federal policies. There is a need to further develop evidence-based strategies for chemical exposure reduction in each of these areas, given the multi-factorial nature of the problem. Further identifying those at greatest risk; understanding the individual, household and community factors that influence indoor chemical exposures; and developing options for mitigation may substantially improve individuals’ exposures and health.
Captured in the Net of Space and Time: Understanding Cortical Field Evolution

In this article, we explore what constitutes a cortical field and discuss homologous features of cortical organization across mammals. We discuss the importance of distinguishing homology from instances of homoplasy when making comparisons across species. Because the concepts regarding what constitutes a cortical field are changing in light of new studies on molecular development, we address some of the molecular aspects of cortical field development, and describe both intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to cortical development, and the role of peripheral morphology and behavior in shaping the cortical field throughout the life of an individual. We also discuss the evolution of the neocortex and outline the types of systems level modifications that have been made to evolving brains. Finally, we speculate on the idea that the neocortex evolves to be flexible, and that genetically based adaptations of the brain and body may initially have been activity-dependent features of organization that were present only under unique and consistent environmental conditions.
Hemodynamic effects of IV sodium nitrite in hospitalized comatose survivors of out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Abstract Background Patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest have brain and cardiac injury. Recent animal studies suggest that the administration of sodium nitrite after resuscitation from 12 min of asystole limits acute cardiac dysfunction and improves survival and neurologic outcomes. It has been hypothesized that low doses of IV sodium nitrite given during resuscitation of out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) will improve survival. Low doses of sodium nitrite (e.g., 9.6 mg of sodium nitrite) are safe in healthy individuals, however the effect of nitrite on blood pressure in resuscitated cardiac arrest patients is unknown. Methods We performed a single-center, pilot trial of low dose sodium nitrite (1 or 9.6 mg dose) vs. placebo in hospitalized out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patient to determine whether nitrite administration reduced blood pressure and whether whole blood nitrite levels increased in response to nitrite administration. Results This is the first reported study of sodium nitrite in cardiac arrest patients. Infusion of low doses of sodium nitrite in comatose survivors of OHCA (n = 7) compared to placebo (n = 4) had no significant effects on heart rate within 30 min after infusion (70 ± 20 vs. 78 ± 3 beats per minute, p = 0.18), systolic blood pressure (103 ± 20 vs 108 ± 15 mmHg, p = 0.3), or methemoglobin levels (0.92 ± 0.33 vs. 0.70 ± 0.26, p = 0.45). Serum nitrite levels of 2–4 μM were achieved within 15 min of a 9.6 mg nitrite infusion. Conclusions Low dose sodium nitrite does not cause significant hemodynamic effect in patients with OHCA, which suggests that nitrite can be delivered safely in this critically ill patient population. Higher doses of sodium nitrite are necessary in order to achieve target serum level of 10 μM.
Breastfeeding and Obesity: Impact on Women and Their Children

Rates of prepregnancy obesity are rising in many countries around the globe, and epidemiologic data suggest a direct link between maternal prepregnancy BMI and offspring obesity. Maternal obesity coupled with lack of breastfeeding has been associated with a sixfold increased risk for child obesity. Moreover, population subgroups of women in many countries with the highest burden of obesity also have the lowest rates of initiation and shortest durations of breastfeeding, presenting an alarming possibility of a transgenerational cycle of obesity and associated chronic disease. Evidence is also mounting that lactation may be beneficial to women’s future health including protection against development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases later in life. The reasons for poor breastfeeding rates among overweight and obese women are likely to be multifactorial including biologic, sociocultural, and behavioral factors. High quality research on the predictors, barriers, and specific effects of breastfeeding on maternal and child health are needed to inform and promote targeted clinical and public health interventions.
Activity of biphenyl matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor BAY 12-9566 in a human breast cancer orthotopic model.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in the invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis associated with human cancer by mediating the degradation of extracellular matrix components. In this paper, we report data that show that BAY 12-9566, a novel inhibitor of MMPs, inhibits angiogenesis, tumor regrowth, and the growth of lung metastases. BAY 12-9566, at 15–100 μM, inhibited tubule formation by human endothelial cells in an in vitro model, but did not prevent the proliferation of endothelial and human breast cancer cells. In the MDA-MB-435 human mammary carcinoma xenograft model, in which the primary tumor is transplanted into the murine mammary fat pad, BAY 12-9566, administered daily at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day p.o. after resection of the primary tumor, inhibited local tumor regrowth by 58% without causing any toxic effect. In addition, BAY 12-9566 treatment inhibited the number and volume of lung metastases by 57 and 88%, respectively. These effects were highly correlated with the serum concentration of BAY 12-9566 at the end of treatment. The serum of the treated animals, harvested 24 h after the last treatment, and the tumor regrown at the site of tumor transplant in the treated animals, contained less protein with MMP-9 activity (as measured in a gelatin zymography assay) than the corresponding controls. However, no difference in the activity of MMP-2 was observed. Although all clinical trials in cancer involving BAY 12-9566 have been halted, this MMP inhibitor has never been used in clinical trials in breast cancer. These results suggest that the novel MMP inhibitor BAY 12-9566 maybe a useful and safe oral treatment for breast cancer, adjunctive to surgery.
Rubble-Pile Near Earth Objects: Insights from Granular Physics

Most Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are composed of fractured rock, sometimes highly fractured and porous, and they have come to be known as rubble piles (Britt 2001; Fujiwara et al. 2006). The constituent particles, ranging from millimeters up to tens of meters, are weakly held together as an aggregate by a combination of both gravitational and van der Waals forces, which can be of comparable strength (Scheers et al. 2010). Future missions to these rubble NEOs, whether human or robotic, will need to operate in such a way that they can safely and successfully probe a fragile object. Of key importance is the ability to predict and control the circumstances under which the NEO material will remain intact or become unstable during activities such as digging, sample-collection, anchoring, or lift-off.
On the Commutant Lifting Theorem and Hankel Operators

In this note we give another proof of the commutant lifting theorem (see) [6] and [7]), based on the Adamjan-Arov-Krein techniques introduced in [1]. We then apply the construction given in Theorem 1 below to obtain a generalization of a result in [2] (see also [4]).
An Investigation into the Acquired Capability for Suicide.

Objective The acquired capability for suicide (ACS) is one of the most important breakthroughs in suicide research. ACS refers to an individual's increased fearlessness about death over time from experiencing painful and provocative events (PPE) and is based on opponent-process theory-a habituation model. Few studies have investigated how ACS develops and found that ACS remained relatively stagnant. Method This study sought to expand these findings by observing how ACS develops in two cross-sectional data sets involving high-risk nonclinical samples of physicians (n = 419) and veterinary students (n = 124). Participants completed online questionnaires assessing both general PPEs (e.g., witnessing abuse) and job-specific PPEs (e.g., exposure to euthanasia), as well as ACS. Results Our results partially replicated prior findings indicating that more PPEs do not significantly affect ACS. Conclusions Limitations of this study include the use of cross-sectional data and self-report measures. These results, in combination with existing models of habituation, suggest ACS may not progress linearly.
Start, Follow, Read: End-to-End Full-Page Handwriting Recognition

Despite decades of research, offline handwriting recognition (HWR) of degraded historical documents remains a challenging problem, which if solved could greatly improve the searchability of online cultural heritage archives. HWR models are often limited by the accuracy of the preceding steps of text detection and segmentation. Motivated by this, we present a deep learning model that jointly learns text detection, segmentation, and recognition using mostly images without detection or segmentation annotations. Our Start, Follow, Read (SFR) model is composed of a Region Proposal Network to find the start position of text lines, a novel line follower network that incrementally follows and preprocesses lines of (perhaps curved) text into dewarped images suitable for recognition by a CNN-LSTM network. SFR exceeds the performance of the winner of the ICDAR2017 handwriting recognition competition, even when not using the provided competition region annotations.
Articulated Concrete Block Stability Assessment for Channelized Flow

AbstractA moment stability analysis method which computes a safety factor using shear stress and flow velocity was previously developed for assessing the stability of articulated concrete block (AC...
MAINTAINING IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN THE SETTING OF POSTERIOR REVERSIBLE ENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME IN HIGH-RISK MULTI-ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION

Prevention of acute primary graft dysfunction is the principle focus in the immediate post-heart transplant period. This risk is heightened with high sensitization and multi-organ transplant. Therefore many immunosuppression protocols employ induction with multiple agents. While the intention of
Towards real-time multispectral endoscopic imaging for cardiac lesion quality assessment

Atrial fibrillation (Afib) can lead to life threatening conditions such as heart failure and stroke. During Afib treatment, clinicians aim to repress unusual electrical activity by electrically isolating the pulmonary veins (PV) from the left atrium (LA) using radiofrequency ablation. However, current clinical tools are limited in reliably assessing transmurality of the ablation lesions and detecting the presence of gaps within ablation lines, which can warrant repeat procedures. In this study, we developed an endoscopic multispectral reflectance imaging (eMSI) system for enhanced discrimination of tissue treatment at the PV junction. The system enables direct visualization of cardiac lesions through an endoscope at acquisition rates up to 25 Hz. Five narrowband, high-power LEDs were used to illuminate the sample (450, 530, 625, 810 and 940nm) and combinatory parameters were calculated based on their relative reflectance. A stitching algorithm was employed to generate large field-of-view, multispectral mosaics of the ablated PV junction from individual eMSI images. A total of 79 lesions from 15 swine hearts were imaged, ex vivo. Statistical analysis of the acquired five spectral data sets and ratiometric maps revealed significant differences between transmural lesions, non-transmural lesions around the venoatrial junctions, unablated posterior wall of left atrium tissue, and pulmonary vein (p < 0.0001). A pixel-based quadratic discriminant analysis classifier was applied to distinguish four tissue types: PV, untreated LA, non-transmural and transmural lesions. We demonstrate tissue type classification accuracies of 80.2% and 92.1% for non-transmural and transmural lesions, and 95.0% and 92.8% for PV and untreated LA sites, respectively. These findings showcase the potential of eMSI for lesion validation and may help to improve AFib treatment efficacy.
Development of an urban community-based cohort to promote health disparities research.

Many academic medical centers are positioned amidst disadvantaged urban neighborhoods in which healthcare services are underutilized, participation in research studies is low, and need for health improvement is vast. The goal of Temple Health: Block-by-Block (THB3) is to establish a sustainable cohort of Philadelphia residents engaged in individual and community health improvement through health research. Recruitment of a population-based sample from 11 Philadelphia zip codes began in August 2015. The cornerstone of the project is the in-home, biannual assessment of each subject. The first-year goal of 1000 enrolled subjects was met. Greater than 90% of subjects represent minority racial or ethnic groups; average age is 46 years; 65% of subjects have a high school education or less. A high burden of health conditions exists including obesity (54%), smoking (41%), hypertension (44%), and diabetes (17.8%). THB3 provides a research infrastructure to promote community participation in a health improvement initiative from which future translational research, health education and preventive services will emanate. The launch of this cohort study has provided extensive lessons regarding urban community-based research and health promotion initiatives.
Function and Form in Contract Law

We concisely state the essence of a functionalist theory of contract and the essence of a formalist theory of contract. We then compare the two theory families intuitively to suggest that, though they start in different places and their theoretical statements differ, the two theory families are more similar in application than is commonly supposed.
Irreducible representations of the rational Cherednik algebra associated to the Coxeter group H 3

Abstract This paper describes irreducible representations in category O of the rational Cherednik algebra H c ( H 3 , h ) associated to the exceptional Coxeter group H 3 and any complex parameter c. We compute the characters of all these representations explicitly. As a consequence, we classify all the finite-dimensional irreducible representations of H c ( H 3 , h ) .
Thinking outside the macrocycle: Potential biomedical roles for nanostructured porphyrins and phthalocyanines — a SPP/JPP Young Investigator Award paper

Porphyrins and phthalocyanines feature strong light absorption, capacity for metal chelation, and a track record of use in human therapeutic applications. Various conjugates and formulations of the...
Genital nodular scabies.

Abstract Nodular scabies is a less common manifestation of scabies. It is characterized by firm, erythematous, pruritic nodules, often involving the genitalia. Diagnosis can be made clinically, and first-line treatment is topical permethrin or oral ivermectin.
Side chain independent photovoltaic performance of thienopyrroledione conjugated donor–acceptor polymers

Side chain engineering has been well studied as a functional handle for controlling the properties of conjugated polymers in OSC applications, with side chain alteration typically effecting a PCE change. In this work, we highlight a unique TPD-based donor polymer system which exhibits robust photovoltaic tolerance regardless of acceptor unit side chain. While alteration of the side chain bulk from a minimally sized substituent (methyl) to a bulky substituent (cyclohexylmethyl) results in different aggregation properties of the neat polymers and the microstructures of the polymer–fullerene blends, these differences surprisingly do not translate to changes in PCE. Due to the versatility of the TPD unit for modification and the device performance invariance to side chain, this TPD-based class of polymers could serve as an excellent donor test polymer for OSC blend tuning and other applications. The findings of this work present an avenue for polymer structure and BHJ morphology manipulation without any commonly observed variations in photovoltaic performance.
Spatial odor discrimination in the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta (L.).

ABSTRACT Flying insects track turbulent odor plumes to find mates, food and egg-laying sites. To maintain contact with the plume, insects are thought to adapt their flight control according to the distribution of odor in the plume using the timing of odor onsets and intervals between odor encounters. Although timing cues are important, few studies have addressed whether insects are capable of deriving spatial information about odor distribution from bilateral comparisons between their antennae in flight. The proboscis extension reflex (PER) associative learning protocol, originally developed to study odor learning in honeybees, was used as a tool to ask if hawkmoths, Manduca sexta, can discriminate between odor stimuli arriving on either antenna. We show moths discriminated the odor arrival side with an accuracy of >70%. Information about spatial distribution of odor stimuli may be available to moths searching for odor sources, opening the possibility that they use both spatial and temporal odor information. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Cost-effectiveness and drug wastage of immunotherapeutic agents for hematologic malignancies: a systematic review

Introduction: Novel immunotherapeutic agents (e.g. monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific T-cell engagers) as treatment options for hematologic malignancies continue to emerge. These agents have been used as the standard of care in specific disease states and are associated with high costs. Value assessment of these therapies is of critical importance for coverage and reimbursement decision-making.Areas covered: We identified 15 immunotherapeutic agents through the U.S. FDA approvals for hematologic malignancies until 2018 and systematically reviewed related cost-effectiveness studies. Additionally, we examined whether drug wastage was accounted for in these studies.Expert opinion: We reviewed 51 studies for 14 identified immunotherapeutic agents that met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Three studies were observational-based, one study was model-based and incorporated observational data. The remaining studies were model-based with the majority of the model parameters extracted from randomized control trials (RCTs). Among 43 model-based economic evaluations, 13 studies accounted for drug wastage. Most of the studies showed favorable incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of immunotherapeutic agents-containing regimens when compared with no immunotherapeutic agents-containing regimens. Alemtuzumab, brentuximab vedotin, and daratumumab were not considered cost-effective across all the studies. Further investigations are warranted to establish the value of recent immunotherapeutic agents for hematologic malignancies.
The Problem with Pathogen-Selective Antibiotics

In the battle with bacteria, humanity is outnumbered and outgunned. The ability of bacteria to quickly evolve and share antibiotic resistance strategies, combined with humanity’s indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, has created a terrifying antibiotic resistance crisis: soon, even a simple scrape or a routine medical procedure may become life-threatening. Hope may lie in pathogen-selective antibiotics. That is, if we design “magic bullet” drugs that each target only one bacterial species, we can avoid the problems of cross-resistance and antibiotic overuse that have led to the current crisis. But that’s difficult, both scientifically and economically. Current antibiotic incentives focus on antibiotics as a broad monolith and are generally inadequate for incentivizing the development of one-bug-per-drug therapies. Here I identify two important respects in which pathogen-selective, “one-bug-per-drug” antibiotics differ from traditional, broad-spectrum drugs: conditional spillover benefits and network-dependent social utility. These characteristics must be considered if we are to incentivize development of a pathogen-selective arsenal. Accordingly, I suggest that a comprehensive prize or bounty framework, targeted research grants, coupled or tolled exclusivity, or revised clinical trial standards may be useful tailored solutions. Last, I suggest that it might be more generally useful, in innovation scholarship, to think generally about incentive frameworks not in terms of disease or symptom but rather in terms of the contextual relationship be-tween the drug, the doctor, the disease, and society.
Infrared beam steering device based on InAsSb/(Al)GaInSb heterostructure

We describe an nBp structure comprised of waveguide with gratings for electronic steering a 10.6-µm laser and show that a 0.06 change of the refractive index by carrier injection leads to a 3.5° steering angle.
Development and evaluation of an agar capture system (ACS) for high-throughput screening of insoluble particulate substrates with bacterial growth and enzyme activity assays.

Abstract We describe a method for containing insoluble particulates for use as substrates in either bacterial growth or enzyme assays. This method was designed for high-throughput screening of environmental or engineered bacteria. Benchmarking this method with several model bacteria uncovered phenotypes not observable with the particulate substrates alone.
The utility of echocardiography in paediatric patients with musculoskeletal infections and bacteremia

Abstract Purpose The clinical utility of echocardiography in the setting of a positive blood culture in paediatric patients presenting with osteomyelitis (OM) and/or septic arthritis (SA). Methods ...
Morbidity and Mortality Changes with Hormone Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the effects of estrogen plus progestin and unopposed estrogen therapy (ET) on chronic diseases, comparing the findings of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trials with those of other clinical trials and observational studies. Specific reference is made to two well-known and reported prospective cohort studies—the Leisure World Cohort Study and the Nurses' Health Study. The results for the major clinical outcomes from these three studies are discussed. Recent findings of the WHI clinical trials that hormone therapy (HT) increased risk of cardiovascular disease have stimulated much discussion about the risks and benefits of such therapy. Although the WHI confirmed many of the associations of HT reported by previous observational studies, the cardiovascular finding was unexpected. Randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trials, such as the WHI trials, are generally considered the gold standard for testing treatment effects. Nonetheless, each type of study has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is important to consider the entire body of evidence when evaluating the effects of HT.
Introduction to: 'Human Subjects Research Regulation: Perspectives on the Future'

This introduction to "Human Subjects Research Regulation: Perspectives on the Future" summarizes the book's contents and explains its contribution in charting new ways of thinking about human subject research and the law and ethics of its regulation. Here is a description of the book itself:The current framework for the regulation of human subjects research emerged largely in reaction to the horrors of Nazi human experimentation, revealed at the Nuremburg trials, and the Tuskegee syphilis study, conducted by U.S. government researchers from 1932 to 1972. This framework, combining elements of paternalism with efforts to preserve individual autonomy, has remained fundamentally unchanged for decades. Yet, as this book documents, it has significant flaws — including its potential to burden important research, overprotect some subjects and inadequately protect others, generate inconsistent results, and lag behind developments in how research is conducted. Invigorated by the U.S. government’s first steps toward change in over twenty years, Human Subjects Research Regulation brings together the leading thinkers in this field from ethics, law, medicine, and public policy to discuss how to make the system better. The result is a collection of novel ideas — some incremental, some radical — for the future of research oversight and human subject protection.After reviewing the history of U.S. research regulations, the contributors consider such topics as risk-based regulation; research involving vulnerable populations (including military personnel, children, and prisoners); the relationships among subjects, investigators, sponsors, and institutional review boards; privacy, especially regarding biospecimens and tissue banking; and the possibility of fundamental paradigm shifts.
Physics in few dimensions

This article is a qualitative account of some aspects of physics in few dimensions, and its relationship to nonlinear field theories. After a survey of materials and some of the models that have been used to describe them, the various methods of solution are compared and contrasted. The roles of exact results, operator representations and the renormalization group transformation are described, and a uniform picture of the behavior of low-dimensional systems is presented.
Predictive value of electrocardiographic patterns in localizing left ventricular asynergy in coronary artery disease

Abstract Transmural myocardial infarction by ECG (ECG-MI) was correlated with left ventricular asynergy by biplane left cineventriculography in 200 patients with coronary artery disease. The ability of individual ECG-MI patterns to predict and correctly localize asynergy was: anterior—98 per cent (43 of 44), inferior—82 per cent (36 of 44), true posterior—73 per cent (11 of 15). Of various combinations of criteria for true posterior ECG-MI, the pattern of an R wave and upright T wave in Lead V 1 was most predictive of posterior asynergy—80 per cent (8 of 10). The LAO projection demonstrated a wall motion abnormality not appreciated in the RAO in 8 per cent (10 of 122) of cases of inferoposterior asynergy and enhanced assessment of asynergy in 30 per cent (36 of 122) of cases. It is concluded that: (1) ECG-MI has a high predictive accuracy for left ventricular asynergy, (2) an R-wave and upright T wave in Lead V 1 is the best ECG predictor of posterior asynergy, and (3) the LAO projection makes an important contribution to the assessment of regional asynergy in coronary artery disease.
A new scaffold for amide ligation.

The chemoselective ligation of unprotectected peptides has proven to be a valuable alternative to biological expression for protein synthesis [1]. The ligation of an unprotected peptide thioester to an unprotected peptide possessing an N-terminal Cys to give an amide bond at the ligation junction in neutral aqueous solution has been termed native chemical ligation [2]. Extension of this approach to even a single non-Cys site would give greater flexibility to the synthesis of proteins and expand the scope of native chemical ligation to embrace more protein targets or other unhindered bioconjugates.
UBV photometry of small and distant asteroids

Photoelectric magnitudes and colors on the ultraviolet (UBV) system are presented for 65 minor planets, including four Mars crossers, six Trojans, and main-belt objects down to 6 km in diameter. The Trojans all have very similar colors not characteristic of the main-belt population. A paucity of S-type asteroids at the smallest diameters, predicted from trends seen at larger sizes, is not observed. The newly available color data for small objects ranging from 1.0 to 5.2 astronomic units in heliocentric distance show the main belt to be a transition zone between predominantly silicate and carbonaceous compositions.
Velvet Lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus) Population Cycles with Precipitation

ABSTRACT. Velvet lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus Dougl. ex Lindl) contains the teratogenic alkaloid anagyrine that causes a crooked calf syndrome. An outbreak of crooked calves occurred in the Channeled Scabland region of eastern Washington in 1997 following 2 years of above-average precipitation. Following this catastrophic loss, we began studies to track velvet lupine density and relate its population cycle to precipitation. In the first study, five 1-m2 quadrats were systematically placed in dense lupine patches at each of 5 locations throughout the scabland region. The quadrats were permanently marked and the number of seedlings and established mature plants were counted biweekly or monthly through the growing seasons of 2001–2005. In the second study, four 1 × 30-m belt transects were established at each of 3 additional locations in the scabland region. The number of seedlings and mature lupine plants were counted within these transects in June or July each year from 2002 to 2009. A third study was cond...
Comments on “analysis of variation of fine material and broken kernels in grain” by F.S. Lai

Abstract A recently proposed index of uniformity of broken kernels and foreign material is shown to be a doubtful use as a measure of variation in grain.
Effects of non-Darcian and nonuniform porosity on vertical-plate natural convection in porous media

This work examines analytically the effects of non-Darcian and nonuniform permeability conditions on the natural convection for a vertical plate in porous media. The non-Darcian effects, which include the no-slip and inertia effects, decrease the flow and heat transfer rate, while the nonhomogeneity effect enhances the heat transfer. For packed spheres, in particular, the nonhomogeneity in permeability due to the packing of spheres near the solid wall results in a strong flow-channeling effect that significantly increases the heat transfer. The effect of transverse thermal dispersion is also examined. This dispersion effect causes an increase in the heat transfer.
Atrial Dissociation and Uniatrial Fibrillation

Three cases of atrial dissociation are illustrated with electrocardiograms. The coexisting atrial rhythms observed in published cases permit us to offer a convenient classification. Two possible explanations of this rare phenomenon are discussed.
Dephosphorylation of F-BAR Protein Cdc15 Modulates Its Conformation and Stimulates Its Scaffolding Activity at the Cell Division Site

Cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe requires the function of Cdc15, the founding member of the pombe cdc15 homology (PCH) family of proteins. As an early, abundant contractile ring component with multiple binding partners, Cdc15 plays a key role in organizing the ring. We demonstrate that Cdc15 phosphorylation at many sites generates a closed conformation, inhibits Cdc15 assembly at the division site in interphase, and precludes interaction of Cdc15 with its binding partners. Cdc15 dephosphorylation induces an open conformation, oligomerization, and scaffolding activity during mitosis. Cdc15 mutants with reduced phosphorylation precociously appear at the division site in filament-like structures and display increased association with protein partners and the membrane. Our results indicate that Cdc15 phosphoregulation impels both assembly and disassembly of the contractile apparatus and suggest a regulatory strategy that PCH family and BAR superfamily members might broadly employ to achieve temporal specificity in their roles as linkers between membrane and cytoskeleton.
An Analysis of Private School Mission Statements

This article is a study of private school mission/vision statements using content analysis. Statements from private schools in British Columbia, Canada, that provided instruction to Grade 12 students were analyzed to explore the diversity that lies within the private school sector. The concepts that emerged from the analysis were grouped into five categories: concepts that declared the school's distinctive beliefs, concepts that presented the school's goals and objectives, and concepts outlining the environment, services offered, and parental involvement. It was found that there is considerable diversity between private school groups in the school distinctives and in the goals and objectives pursued by the schools.
Pemoline-induced choreoathetosis and rhabdomyolysis.

Pemoline is an indirectly acting sympathomimetic with actions similar to amphetamine and methylphenidate. While choreoathetosis is a well-recognised complication of acute or chronic amphetamine abuse, only 3 previous case reports have implicated pemoline in such a movement disorder. We report a 49- year-old man who developed severe choreoathetosis with rhabdomyolysis after markedly increasing his intake of pemoline. Abnormal movements responded to diazepam and completely resolved over 48 hours. He made a complete recovery with supportive care. This is only the second case of pemolineinduced choreoathetosis in an adult reported in the English literature, and the first case of rhabdomyolysis and myoglobinuria complicating choreoathetosis.