cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biologic and molecular mechanisms for sex differences in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics: Part I.

There are specific pharmacology issues related to women's unique physiology, including the hormonal changes that occur throughout their life span. Studies have shown alterations in drug metabolism in relation to phase of menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, or after menopause. In the brain, hormones can alter the response to drugs through various mechanisms. Estrogen and other compounds can bind to the estrogen receptor and modulate a wide range of activities within the cell. In addition, animal studies have demonstrated sexual dimorphism in the brain in terms of both the type of response to estrogen and the response as related to timing of administration. Many normal physiological changes that occur during pregnancy can affect pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. These changes during pregnancy are dramatic rises in levels of estrogen and progesterone, increases in maternal blood volume, altered protein binding resulting from a drop in albumin levels, and a rise in levels of other plasma proteins. The fie...
Sonographic Detection of Fibromatosis A Rare Tumor in the Retroperitoneum

Abdominal sonography for the detection and evaluation of mass lesions is a common investigative modality. The authors wish to report a case of an unusual retroperitoneal tumor that was detected by ultrasound. The lesion, fibromato sis, was symptomatic but went undiagnosed for over a year, despite two evalua tions which included multiple standard roentgenographic studies. Fibromato sis is discussed.
Fabrication of silicon optical fiber

We experimentally demonstrate the fabrication of silicon optical fibers by using the powder-in-tube technique. The fibers are drawn from a preform utilizing a custom-made fiber drawing system. Silicon optical fibers having cladding diameters in the range of 40 to 240 µm, core diameters in the range of 10 to 100 µm, and an approximate overall length of 7 cm have been fabricated. The powder-in-tube technique is versatile and can be utilized to fabricate fibers with different dimensions and core/cladding materials.
High-speed, High-efficiency millimeter-wave transmitters at 45 GHz in CMOS

Millimeter-wave power amplifiers realized in CMOS processes have demonstrated output power and power added efficiency exceeding 20 dBm and 30%, respectively. We describe efforts to achieve high power and high efficiency for mm-wave transmitters and linearize mm-wave PAs in fineline CMOS processes. We will present novel circuit approaches based on Doherty amplifiers and digital pre-distortion of high-power mm-wave CMOS PA to demonstrate low error-vector magnitude (EVM).
Bridgeless PFC boost rectifier with optimized magnetic utilization

An implementation of bridgeless PFC boost rectifier with low common-mode noise is presented. The proposed implementation employs a unique multiple-winding, multi-core inductor to increase the utilization of the magnetic material. The operation and performance of the circuit was verified on a 750-W, universal-line experimental prototype operating at 110 kHz.
Developing ARM based PDA using Inferno OS

Developing an Embedded system with ARM & Inferno operating system is a radically simplified revolutionary approach. ARM offers the widest choice of embedded operating systems (OS) and execution environments for embedded system development. Inferno comes with all that is needed to quickly develop advanced applications and with ideal solution to produce a winning system design. Inferno is a compact and powerful operating system, ideal for use in embedded devices. It runs on most popular processor architectures. Nowadays Personal Digital Assistants are no more a luxury but a necessity. We will make an attempt to build the essential PDA applications in Inferno environment ported on ARM processor.
Instrument Fault Detection

The dedicated observer scheme (DOS) for detecting incipient instrument faults by functional redundancy is applied to a simulation of the lateral axis control system of a hydrofoil boat. Observer designs and detection logic are found for which 14 separate instrument faults are detected without false alarms. The scheme is shown to be robust with respect to variations in two significant physical parameters.
Fourth-order compact schemes of a heat conduction problem with Neumann boundary conditions

Inthisarticle,asetoffourth-ordercompactﬁnitedifferenceschemesisdevelopedtosolveaheatconductionproblem with Neumann boundary conditions. It is derived through the compact difference schemes at allinterior points, and the combined compact difference schemes at the boundary points. This set of schemesis proved to be globally solvable and unconditionally stable. Numerical examples are provided to verify theaccuracy.
Identification of Anti-Invasive but Noncytotoxic Chemotherapeutic Agents Using the Tetrazolium Dye MTT to Quantitate Viable Cells in Matrigel

Screening methods for chemotherapeutic agents usually rely on the cytotoxic properties of the drugs. However, agents that inhibit invasion may have more efficacy and cause fewer side effects. Various cellular invasion assays have been used to evaluate these types of compounds, including the modified Boyden chamber, monolayer wound models and Matrigel outgrowth assays. In this report, we have combined the use of the Matrigel outgrowth assay with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) visualization and cell viability dye to visualize invasive cells on Matrigel without magnification. Extraction of the dye's formazan byproduct allows cell viability to be assessed. Using several invasive and noninvasive cell lines, the utility of the method for various target cells was verified. Several established chemotherapeutic agents were also screened for their anti-invasive and/or cytotoxic effects when cultured on Matrigel. Our results suggest that this method may be an easy, inexpensive and nonradioactive alternative for both enumerating cells on Matrigel and screening various tumor cell lines treated with chemotherapeutic agent to look for compounds with noncytotoxic but anti-invasive properties.
The Dutch Teachers of Mathematics and Navigation

We should not think that during the centuries preceding the rise of the Dutch Republic, the Northern Netherlands were inhabited only by semi-illiterates in the service of feudal princes always at each others’ throats. We only have to look at the noble lines of the Knights Hall (Ridderzaal) in The Hague or the townhalls of Middelburg and Gouda to understand how much taste existed in the Holland and Zeeland of these days, not to speak of the beauty of some of the churches. Dutch prosperity depended to a considerable degree on the herring fishery that flourished because an invention called haringkaken, a special conservation method of gutting, salting and barreling ascribed to Willem Beukelsz. of Biervliet in Zeeland around 1300. The coastal trade was a good school for the training of skippers and shipbuilders, the preserving of dykes and drainage for that of mill builders and engineers. Connections with the Hansa broadened vision and the sense of toleration. We may be sceptical of the story that not Gutenberg in Mainz, but Laurens Jansz. Coster in Haarlem invented printing with movable type, but it illustrates the fact that this process was developed in the Netherlands at an early date (after ca. 1450). Literacy was widespread.
Asset Bubbles, Monetary Policy and Bank Lending in Japan

Asset prices rose rapidly in Japan during the latter half of the 1980s, and then declined as quickly in the early 1990s. The increases in stock and land prices during this period exceeded the growth that would be consistent with changes in their fundamental determinants and are evidence of the existence of speculative bubbles. This paper investigates the dynamic relationships among stock and land prices in Japan, output, and monetary and bank lending variables. We first model and empirically trace stock and land market bubbles. We then estimate vector autoregressions (VARs) for two time periods: 1971-85 and 1986-91, the bubble period. We use these models to perform tests of causality among the variables and to report the results of variance decompositions. The price bubbles affected each other in the first period, although this impact is dependent on the choice of variables in the VARs. In the bubble period, there is strong evidence that the stock market bubble was determined by its own past and also influenced the land market bubble, accounting for a significant proportion of the variance of the land market bubble. These results are robust with respect to model specification. However, neither output, the money supply nor the bank lending variables were significant in the causality tests or in explaining the variation of the two asset bubbles.
Suppression of the Saratoga Spittlebug in the Nymphal Stage by Granular Baygon

Aphrophora saratogensis (Fitch) is customarily suppressed with insecticides in the adult stage. Adult spray programs must be timed carefully to get the insects after maximum eclosion but before oviposition. Nymphal suppression would minimize the timing problem. Baygon® ( o -isopropoxyphenol methylcarbamate), 5% granular, applied to the soil before nymphet eclosion gave 100% reduction at dosages of 2 and 3 lb/acre, and 99.4 and 97.1% reduction for dosages of 1 and ½ lb/acre. Baygon applied around sweetfern plants at 2-3 lb/acre when nymphs were in the 4th stadium gave 100% mortality in 6 days.
Recipient survival and graft survival are not diminished by simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation: An analysis of the united network for organ sharing database

Recipients of solitary liver and kidney transplants are living longer, and this increases their risk of long-term complications such as recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) and drug-induced nephrotoxicity. These complications may require retransplantation. Since the adoption of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, the number of simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation (SLK) procedures has increased. However, there are no standardized criteria for organ allocation to SLK candidates. The aims of this study were to retrospectively compare recipient and graft survival with liver transplantation alone (LTA), SLK, kidney after liver transplantation (KALT), and liver after kidney transplantation (LAKT) and to identify independent risk factors affecting recipient and graft survival. The United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database (1988-2007) was queried for adult LTA (66,026), SLK (2327), KALT (1738), and LAKT procedures (242). After adjustments for potential confounding demographic and clinical variables, there was no difference in recipient mortality rates with LTA and SLK (P = 0.02). However, there was a 15% decreased risk of graft loss with SLK versus LTA (hazard ratio = 0.85, P 12 hours, and warm ischemia time > 60 minutes. Although the recent increase in the number of SLK procedures performed each year has effectively decreased the number of potential donor kidneys available to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) awaiting kidney transplantation, SLK in patients with end-stage liver disease and ESRD is justified because of the lower risk of graft loss with SLK versus LTA as well as the superior recipient and graft survival with SLK versus serial liver-kidney transplantation.
Ultrafine Zinc and Nickel, Palladium, Silver Coated Zinc Particles Used for Reductive Dehalogenation of Chlorinated Ethylenes in Aqueous Solution

Zero-valent zinc metal has been employed for the reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated ethylenes. In order to enhance this environmental remediation chemistry, ultrafine zinc particles and transition metal additives (coatings) have been employed. Indeed, activated zinc (cryozinc) significantly enhanced the reduction/dehalogenation process, especially in the presence of nickel and palladium coatings. These reagents were able to achieve rapid, deep reductive dehalogenation of trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, and dichloroethylenes at room temperature under neutral pH conditions. Highest reactivity was found for ultrafine Zn coated with small amounts of palladium. Products, reaction rates, and possible reaction mechanisms and intermediates are presented.
Worldwide Migraine Epidemiology: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 302 Community-Based Studies Involving 6,216,995 Participants (P6.100)

Objective: Using a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, we studied the global epidemiology of migraine at the community level to determine its true prevalence and burden. Background: Migraine is one of the most common chronic conditions worldwide, and contributes significantly to the burden of disease. Methods: A systematic review using advanced search strategies employing PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science inclusive of relevant gray literature handsearch was conducted for community-based studies by combining the terms ‘‘migraine’’, ‘‘community-based’’, and names of every country worldwide spanning all previous years until August 31, 2015. Methods were in accordance with PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. A meta-analysis with sensitivity analysis was performed to identify pooled migraine prevalence and examine cohort heterogeneity. Results: A total of 302 community-based studies involving 6,216,995 participants (median age 35 years, male to female ratio of 0.91) were included. 87 [percnt] of the studies were from post-ICHD era (International Classification of Headache Disorders 1988); 82[percnt] of these applied ICHD diagnostic criteria. 30 [percnt] of the studies were school-based. Pooled crude migraine prevalence was 11.6[percnt] (95[percnt] Confidence Interval [CI] 10.7-12.6[percnt]; random effects); 10.4[percnt] in Africa, 10.1[percnt] in Asia, 11.4[percnt] in Europe, 9.7[percnt] in North America, 16.4[percnt] in Central and South America. Pooled cohort-stratified migraine prevalence was 13.8[percnt] among females, 6.9[percnt] among males, 11.2[percnt] among urban residents, 8.4[percnt] among rural residents, and 12.4[percnt] among school/college students. Sensitivity analysis revealed similar random-effects weighted prevalence between ICHD-using studies (11.2[percnt]) and all studies (11.6[percnt]), likewise between one-year (11.9[percnt]) and all studies (11.6[percnt]). Conclusions: Migraine affects one in ten people worldwide; it is twice common in females. Higher prevalence was found among school/college students and urban residents. Geographical variations were observed with Central and South American region featuring higher prevalence compared to other regions with comparable prevalence. Disclosure: Dr. Woldeamanuel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cowan has received personal compensation for activities with Allergan, Inc., MAP Pharmaceuticals, Nautilus Neurosciences, and Nupathe.
Epitaxial superconductor-semiconductor two-dimensional systems: platforms for quantum circuits(Conference Presentation)

Theory suggests that the interface between a one-dimensional semiconductor (Sm) with strong spin-orbit coupling and a superconductor (S) hosts Majorana modes with nontrivial topological properties. A key challenge in fabrication of such hybrid devices is forming highly transparent contacts between the active electrons in the semiconductor and the superconducting metal. Recently, it has been shown that a near perfect interface and a highly transparent contact can be achieved using epitaxial growth of aluminum on InAs nanowires. In this work, we present the first two-dimensional epitaxial superconductor-semiconductor material system that can serve as a platform for topological superconductivity. We show that our material system, Al-InAs, satisfies all the requirements necessary to reach into the topological superconducting regime by individual characterization of the semiconductor two dimensional electron system, superconductivity of Al and performance of S-Sm-S junctions. This exciting development might lead to a number of useful applications ranging from spintronics to quantum computing.
Pricing energy and flexibility in robust Security-Constrained Unit Commitment model

Robust Security-Constrained Unit Commitment (RSCUC) becomes one of the successful approaches to handling high penetration level of renewables (RES) in the electricity market. However, RSCUC can only be applied in Reliability Assessment Commitment (RAC) without corresponding energy and reserve price signals in the Day-ahead Market (DAM). In this paper, the locational marginal prices for energy and flexibility are derived according to the latest RSCUC model where the financial binding economic dispatches are proposed. The simulation on a Six-bus system is performed to validate the concepts and findings.
Airborne Microorganisms in a Pork Processing Establishment.

Airborne microorganisms were enumerated in the various processing rooms of a commercial pork slaughter and further processing plant, every other month for a year. The room where sausage emulsions were prepared had higher airborne aerobic bacteria and yeast-mold counts than the other rooms sampled. The mean log aerobic bacteria counts per 0.028 m3 across months were 1.83, 1.83, 1.82, 1.71, 1.93, 2.48, 2.08, 1.62, and 0.95 for the evisceration, offal, carcass cooler, carcass breaking, curing cellar, sausage emulsion preparation, sausage stuffing, sausage packaging, and sliced meat packaging rooms, respectively. The mean log yeast-mold counts per 0.028 m3 for the same rooms were 0.90. 0.88, 0.32, 1.06, 1.11, 1.25, 1.03, 1.01, and 0.97, respectively. Coliform counts did not exceed 5 per 0.028 m3 in any of the samplings and usually were totally absent from the sampled air except in the sausage stuffing and the offal rooms. The mean log aerobic counts per 0.028 m3 for all sampling locations combined were 1.86, 1.78, 1.78, 1.14, 1.84, and 1.93 for February, April, June, August, October, and December, respectively. The lowest count was during the August sampling, and may represent more outside air being introduced into the plant. The mean log yeast-mold counts per 0.028 m3 for the same months were 0.84, 0.53, 1.12, 0.91, 1.04, and 1.03, respectively. The mean temperatures (°C) of the processing rooms referred to above, across months, were 19.5 ± 3.3; 19.4 ± 4.1; 2.4 ± 1.4; 11.0 ± 2.5; 7.0 ± 1.2; 10.0 ± 2.1; 9.3 ± 1.8; 9.6 ± 1.1; and 10.6 ± 0.8, respectively. Different (P<0.05) temperatures within processing rooms among months were noted for the carcass cooler, curing cellar, sausage stuffing, sausage packaging, and sliced meat packaging rooms. These data provide baseline data for the airborne microorganisms in the various rooms in a pork processing establishment.
Protecting the child witness in abuse cases

There is, perhaps, no child more vulnerable or “at risk” than the victim of abuse who must testify against the perpetrator. It is often critically important that the child testify because the child is often the only witness to the crime. Without the child's testimony, the perpetrator may go free and continue the abuse perhaps even as to that same child. Asking the abused child to testify, however, may be exposing the child to additional harm. Not only has the child suffered the unspeakable trauma of the abuse, resulting in the charges against the defendant, but the child now faces a possible secondary assault by having to recount those atrocities in the frightening surroundings of a courtroom in the presence of the perpetrator and by being subjected to cross examination. On the other hand, in our democracy, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, even child abusers. Those defendants have constitutional protections designed to ensure a fair trial, which include the right of cross examination and the right to confront their accusers. The danger also exists that a child's testimony could be coached or influenced by repeated and suggestive questioning and used to support charges against an innocent defendant.The challenge for the courts, attorneys, and legislatures is to balance these competing interests, the state's obligation to protect the child as well as its obligation to preserve the defendant's right to a fair trial. An additional problem is the allocation of responsibility to act in this area to protect the child. Whose job is it? Does the responsibility lie with the legislative bodies, or the courts, or the prosecuting attorneys? Each party has a role to play in protecting children while preserving defendants' constitutional rights. This article: (1) reviews the current law regarding the constitutionally protected rights of the accused as they pertain to the issue of child witnesses who testify at trial; (2) reviews legislation, court procedures, and other approaches that can and are being implemented to protect the child witness, consistent with the constitutional guarantees of the accused; (3) recommends additional steps that each of the major parties involved in this issue can take to better protect child witnesses and to lessen the trauma for children testifying in abuse cases; and (4) encourages renewed advocacy of reform measures to take advantage of increased federal funding recently signed into law.
Simultaneous Convexification of Bilinear Functions over Polytopes with Application to Network Interdiction

We study the simultaneous convexification of graphs of bilinear functions $g^k({x};{y}) = {y}^{\intercal} A^k {x}$ over ${x} \in \ensuremath{\Xi} = \{ {x} \in [0,1]^n \, | \, E{x} \geq {f} \}$ and ${y} \in \Delta_m = \{ {y} \in {R}_+^{m} \, | \, {1^{\intercal}y} \leq 1 \}$. We propose a constructive procedure to obtain a linear description of the convex hull of the resulting set. This procedure can be applied to derive convex and concave envelopes of certain bilinear functions, to study unary expansions of integer variables in mixed integer bilinear sets, and to obtain convex hulls of sets with complementarity constraints. Exploiting the structure of $\Xi$, the procedure naturally yields stronger linearizations for bilinear terms in a variety of practical settings. In particular, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach by strengthening the traditional dual formulation of network interdiction problems and report encouraging preliminary numerical results.
TCT-599 RV/LV Ratio by Computed Tomography Poorly Predicts RV Dysfunction or Invasive Hemodynamics in Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Assessment of right ventricular strain using computed tomography (CT) in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) has often relied on the ratio between the diameter of the right and left ventricles (RV/LV) in axial slices. The RV/LV ratio, measured in this manner, may be an unreliable marker of strain
Bayesian inversion of seismic and electromagnetic data for marine gas reservoir characterization using multi-chain Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling

Abstract In this study we developed an efficient Bayesian inversion framework for interpreting marine seismic Amplitude Versus Angle and Controlled-Source Electromagnetic data for marine reservoir characterization. The framework uses a multi-chain Markov-chain Monte Carlo sampler, which is a hybrid of DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis and Adaptive Metropolis samplers. The inversion framework is tested by estimating reservoir-fluid saturations and porosity based on marine seismic and Controlled-Source Electromagnetic data. The multi-chain Markov-chain Monte Carlo is scalable in terms of the number of chains, and is useful for computationally demanding Bayesian model calibration in scientific and engineering problems. As a demonstration, the approach is used to efficiently and accurately estimate the porosity and saturations in a representative layered synthetic reservoir. The results indicate that the seismic Amplitude Versus Angle and Controlled-Source Electromagnetic joint inversion provides better estimation of reservoir saturations than the seismic Amplitude Versus Angle only inversion, especially for the parameters in deep layers. The performance of the inversion approach for various levels of noise in observational data was evaluated — reasonable estimates can be obtained with noise levels up to 25%. Sampling efficiency due to the use of multiple chains was also checked and was found to have almost linear scalability.
Global norm of national treatment for patent uncertainties: A longitudinal comparison between the US and China

Abstract Sporadic studies on the global norm of national treatment for patent uncertainties (NTPU) urge for insights of changes as well as for clarification to discrepancy. This global norm has been a concern for policy makers and practitioners for over a century, as a socially and strategically more significant matter than before for multilateral cooperation given the active technology transfer across borders. To fill in the void and extend prior studies, we examine the global compliance of NTPU from the perspective of patent pendency and granting by addressing three relevant questions: (1) Is NTPU upheld within countries? (2) How does NTPU diverge across countries? (3) How does NTPU change, as an outcome, over time? Based on the institutional theory, lagged regression modeling and longitudinal comparison of US and Chinese patenting, our findings reveal that: (1) NTPU is overall upheld because equality in pendency is demonstrated in both countries and in US granting, and foreigners are even favored for Chinese granting. (2) NTPU is comparatively divergent between the countries in pendency and granting due to national variations. (3) Regressive and progressive changes in NTPU are evidenced since both countries provide equal or higher granting, but longer pendency than before. Our findings contribute to theories by providing new insights to the global norm of national treatment and institutional theory from the perspective of patent uncertainties. We make novel empirical contribution to address NTPU changes of the top patent filing countries and methodological contribution to the longitudinal comparative study. The results also provide implications that concern policy makers and practitioners to handle patent uncertainties across borders.
"Designerly" Ways of Reading: Insights From Reader Response in Drama for Enriching the "A" in Language Arts

In this interpretive case study of reader response in drama, a drama troupe is the context for illuminating how young actors read in "designerly" ways; that is, how their reading processes facilitated constructive, solution-focused thinking in their development of characterizations. By examining the nature of reader response in the drama troupe, I hope to help educators understand how design thinking occurred as an aesthetic reading practice and consider ways in which design thinking can be cultivated in the language arts classroom. I argue that design thinking inspires the young to engage the imagination, practice teamwork, and take risks as they work to make their visions real. Perhaps most importantly, I contend that design thinking can help prepare the young for facing complex and highly ambiguous problems characteristic of 21st century participatory cultures.
Grammar Jam: Adding a Creative Editing Tactic

The author argues reading, hearing, and then composing musical lyrics involving grammatical concerns can help college writing students to edit more effectively for a song's grammar topic. Explaining that the songs need to offer specific advice, such as how to both spot and correct the grammatical problem, the writer offers lyrical examples and provides scholarly evidence for this approach. The essay explains what Grammar Jam is, why music can work, and how to use the tactic in the classroom.
Indeterminate diagnoses in EUS-guided FNA of the pancreas: analysis of cytologist and clinician perceptions, cytologic features, and clinical outcomes.

Introduction Indeterminate “atypical” or “suspicious for malignancy” diagnoses in the evaluation of pancreatic fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens can present challenges in the clinical management of patients with pancreatic masses. A main goal of this study was to identify, via survey, potential differences in perception between cytologists and clinicians with regard to the implications of, and factors contributing to, indeterminate diagnoses. We also evaluated clinical practice at our institution as it relates to such diagnoses and identified clinicopathologic features associated with indeterminate diagnoses, which allowed for correlation with survey results. Materials and Methods Online surveys were sent to cytologists and clinicians to gather information on the respondents’ experiences with pancreatic endoscopic ultrasound-guided FNA and their perceptions about the indeterminate diagnostic categories. Cytological specimens and patient medical records were reviewed to collect data on specimen acquisition, cytological features, tumor characteristics, and patient management. Results Survey responses revealed that cytologists and clinicians held similar perceptions of the clinical impact of the indeterminate categories but had dissimilar ideas on the factors contributing to these diagnoses. Statistically significant associations were identified between indeterminate diagnoses and the following variables: number of passes performed; adequacy on rapid on-site evaluation; repeat FNA procedures; lesions with cystic changes; and well-differentiated tumor cytomorphology. Conclusions Awareness of the perceptions of cytologists and clinicians about, as well as the clinical features and cytologic variables associated with, “indeterminate” cases has the potential to improve patient care.
Water and wastewater treatment: biological processes

Abstract: Population growth in urban areas is leading to an expansion in industrial development, which in turn creates increased volumes of wastewater with ever more complex compositions. The wastewater that is generated is discharged into water sources that supply drinking water to other urban areas, causing higher levels of pollution. One option for the treatment of water and wastewater is the use of biological processes, which offer certain advantages over other common treatment technologies. The organic contaminants to be destroyed are used and transformed by bacteria or other organisms as a source of food. Thus the water/wastewater treatment process is used to dispose of waste in a non-toxic and sanitary manner. This chapter discusses the major biological options for water and wastewater treatment.
Evaluations of Drug-Testing Programs

In three experiments undergraduate students at an urban university evaluated drug-testing programs described in scenarios. Evaluations were inversely related to the false positive rate and were more favorable when a positive test result led to rehabilitation than when it led to termination of employment. Inconsistent effects on evaluations were observed for ability of the test to distinguish between previous drug use and current drug-based impairment, false negative rate, and implications of drug-impaired performance for public safety. There was also mixed evidence concerning the relation between evaluations and respondent belief in a just world. These results provide some support for Crant and Bateman's (1989) justice-based model of reactions to drug-testing and have implications for organizational drug-testing policies.
Current State of Immunotherapy for HCC—Supporting Data and Toxicity Management

After having tyrosine kinase inhibitor as only available one drug class to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for more than a decade, immunotherapy agents are now approved for second-line therapy and are currently being compared head-to-head with sorafenib for first-line treatment. It is becoming increasingly important for hepatologists to become aware of agents in development, potential adverse events, and suggested treatment monitoring. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab have both shown promising phase II data in the second-line setting for HCC and phase III data in both the first-line and second-line settings are anticipated soon. Durable responses of 15–20% is seen as a potential breakthrough and may translate into improved survival for patients with advanced HCC. While immunotherapies are well tolerated overall, rare but serious immune-mediated adverse events are possible and warrant monitoring to facilitate early treatment when needed. There is ongoing research of combinations with immunotherapy agents and other systemic agents and/or locoregional therapies to further enhance response rates. Ongoing studies will define the role of immunotherapy for treatment of HCC, both as single agents as well as in combination with other therapies.
A call to ARMs: Accurate identification of the anatomy of the rectourethral fistula in anorectal malformations.

Abstract Recto-urethral fistulae are the most common finding in males born with an anorectal malformation (ARM). A high pressure distal colostogram is an important tool in visualizing the fistula, although the precise level at which the fistula communicates with the urethra may be difficult to interpret and is not reported in a uniform manner. This anatomy affects the surgical plan; determining the likelihood that the rectum is reachable via a posterior sagittal incision or better approached through the abdomen via laparoscopy or laparotomy helps counsel families and stratifies diagnoses for outcomes work. Herein we present a figure used at our Center to assist with correlating findings on the distal colostogram with the anatomic level of the recto-urethral fistula in males with anorectal malformations.
Inverted papilloma with multifocal attachment is associated with increased recurrence.

BACKGROUND Inverted papilloma (IP) is a benign sinonasal tumor with a well-known propensity to recur, especially at its bony attachment site. Anecdotal evidence suggests lower rate of recurrence in primary resection. We also aimed to evaluate the effect of multifocal vs single focus of attachment in disease control. METHODS This work is a retrospective review of 535 IP resections performed during the period from 2006 to 2016 at a tertiary-care center. Demographic data, tumor location and attachment sites, and follow-up duration data were obtained. RESULTS Two hundred ten patients were eligible for analysis. The mean age was 57 years, with an average postoperative surveillance of 36.4 months. Patients who had a previous procedure at an outside institution have a recurrence rate of 22.3%, compared with 12.4% for patients who had primary surgery at our institution. The most common site of attachment was maxillary sinus (47.6%), followed by ethmoid sinus (39%). Individual tumor review showed 50% of the patients to have multifocal attachment disease, of which there is a higher prevalence in secondary cases when compared with primary cases (53.7% vs 44.9%). Multiple tumor attachment sites had a significant effect on recurrence (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-7.6; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION Primary resection and single-focus attachment of inverted papilloma are associated with lower recurrence rates at 3-year follow-up.
Cystic fibrosis precision therapeutics: Emerging considerations

Small molecules that address fundamental defects underlying cystic fibrosis (CF), including modulators such as the approved drugs ivacaftor, lumacaftor, tezacaftor, and elexacaftor, have advanced dramatically over the past few years and are transforming care and prognosis among individuals with this disease. The new treatment strategies are predicated on established scientific insight concerning pathogenesis, and applying "personalized" or "precision" interventions for specific abnormalities of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Even with the advent of highly effective triple drug combinations-which hold great promise for the majority of patients with CF worldwide-barriers to precision therapy remain. These include refractory CFTR variants (premature truncation codons, splice defects, large indels, severe missense mutations, and others) not addressed by available modulators, and access to leading-edge therapeutic compounds for patients with ultrarare forms of CF. In addition to describing the remarkable progress that has occurred regarding CF precision medicine, this review outlines some of the remaining challenges. The CF experience is emblematic of many conditions for which personalized interventions are actively being sought.
A spatial panel regression model to measure the effect of weather events on freight truck traffic

Truck drivers adhere to delivery schedules making them more likely to reroute rather than cancel a trip when faced with inclement weather. While previous studies modeled the direct effects of adver...
Testosterone-related behavioral and neural mechanisms associated with location preferences: A model for territorial establishment.

Abstract Territoriality is an adaptive behavioral trait that is important for animal's fitness and there still remains much to learn about the proximate mechanisms underlying the development of territoriality. We speculate that the formation of a conditioned place preference (CPP), an increased time allocation to the environment where a rewarding experience occurred, contributes to territoriality. Testosterone (T) plays an important role in modulating territorial behaviors and T pulses can induce a CPP. We confirmed previous findings in California mice (Peromyscus californicus) that T pulses can induce a CPP in singly-housed, but not group-housed males. Housing singly may be similar enough to dispersal in nature to initiate similar hormonal and neuroanatomical changes needed for the development of territoriality. We further revealed that T pulses interact with the single housing experience and appear to enhance the motivation to be aggressive towards a stimulus male. On a neural level, being singly housed upregulated levels of androgen receptors in the preoptic area, which positively correlated with the strength of the CPP. We speculate that this change in androgen sensitivity in the preoptic area is characteristic of males that have dispersed, making them more sensitive to T pulses. Also, single housing increased markers of synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens, ventral and dorsal hippocampus, neural changes that may be associated with dispersal, reproduction and territory establishment. These behavioral and neural changes may reflect the life history transition from residing in the natal territory to dispersing and establishing a new territory.
A New Physically Motivated Clutter Model With Applications to Nondestructive Ultrasonic Testing

In this article, we construct a new physically motivated model for the grain scattering noise (clutter). We assume the clutter is the output of a random linear time-invariant (LTI) filter, the impulse response of which is considered to be a realization of a Gaussian wide sense stationary (WSS) random process, when the transmitted ultrasonic pulse is at the input. In an ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) session, the clutter noise, which is signal-dependent and caused by the microstructure of the material, presents a substantial challenge in identifying defects in the material under testing. The model is used to aid in the detection of a defect in the material. The model incorporates, explicitly, many important physical characteristics of the generated clutter, such as the average grain size, the random shape, and orientation of the grains, and emphasizes the single scatterer assumption (Rayleigh region). The statistical properties of the model are formulated and derived. A comparison with the usual matched filter to indicate the model advantage is performed. An application to real ultrasonic data is conducted with excellent results. Furthermore, we explored the effect of the choice of the model parameters, and the model shows robustness toward parameter misspecification. We then tested the performance under a deviation from the single scatterer assumption, for a more complex target, using simulated noise and obtained promising results.
Optofluidic Chromatography: A Tunable Plasmonic Microlens for Label-Free on-Flight Sorting of Exosomes

Sophisticated instrumentation requirements for optics and microfluidics are fundamental shortcomings of optical chromatography. We introduce a subwavelength-thick 4μm×4μm footprint optofluidic microlens for high-throughput label-free sorting of exosomes by size and chemical composition on-chip.
Deaths From COVID-19 in Rural, Micropolitan, and Metropolitan Areas: A County-Level Comparison

PURPOSE: The United States has experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Regardless of the overall increase in the prevalence and mortality, there are disagreements about the consequences of exposure and contracting COVID-19, specifically in rural areas. Rural areas have inherent characteristics that increase their vulnerability to contracting COVID-19. The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in death rates from COVID-19 between urban and rural areas in the United States. METHODS: This study used county-level data. The data set consisted of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths along with county-level demographics. The sample consisted of all counties in the 50 US states and DC. Counties were designated as metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural. A zero-inflated negative binomial regression was used to estimate county-level number of deaths conditional on contracting COVID-19. The study focused on COVID-19-related mortality from February 10, 2020, to June 12, 2020. FINDINGS: After controlling for county-level characteristics, the rate of COVID-19 deaths was 70.3% (P < .001) for rural counties and 53.4% (P < .001) for micropolitan counties, both significantly lower than metropolitan counties during the study time period. CONCLUSION: Over time, rural geography and social isolation may not provide sustainable protection to rural residents from the pandemic. The slow progression provides rural areas additional time and opportunity to learn from the experiences in urban areas that were most affected. Rural areas need to be proactive and develop prevention strategies and response plans to manage and control the spread of COVID-19.
Effectiveness of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty Applied to 360° vs. 180° of the Angle.

Purpose. To compare the effectiveness and safety of 360° and 180° of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) for the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods. Retrospective cohort study. The main outcome measure was the Kaplan–Meier analysis comparing the cumulative probabilities of survival between the 360° and 180° SLT groups in terms of IOP reduction. Success was defined as ≥20% IOP reduction from baseline with an IOP between 5–18 mmHg and ≤1 glaucoma medication added postoperatively. Additional outcome measures included changes in average IOP, number of glaucoma medications, and the incidence of postoperative IOP spikes. Measurements were obtained at 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. Results. Two hundred and fifty-eight eyes of 258 patients were included in the 360° group, and 196 eyes of 196 patients were included in the 180° group. The mean IOP reductions at 2 years were 2.21 ± 2.02 mmHg and 2.43 ± 1.81 mmHg ( ) in the 180° and 360° groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative IOP spikes between the two groups. There was a significant difference in the survival curves of the two groups ( ). The Cox proportional-hazard model indicated that 360° of SLT application was a significant predictor of long-term success ( ). Conclusions. 360° of SLT application seems to provide for greater long-term IOP control than 180° of application without putting patients at an elevated risk for postoperative IOP spikes.
Enhancing Linkage to Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Following Pregnancy in Women Identified During Perinatal Care.

Amid the current US opioid crisis, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates continue to rise in young adults, including among pregnant women, yet few studies describe linkage to care and treatment in pregnant or postpartum women with HCV infection. We used electronic health record data to estimate HCV treatment rates for postpartum women before (January 2014-September 2016) and during (October 2016-March 2018) implementation of a maternal-infant HCV linkage program in combination with a multidisciplinary clinic to colocate mother and infant care. Using Poisson regression models, we compared HCV treatment initiation rates, adjusting for demographics, substance use, and treatment. From January 2014 through March 2018, 343 women who were HCV seropositive delivered at our institution. Of these, 95% completed HCV nucleic acid testing and 255 women had chronic HCV infection. Mean age was 30 years, 96% were publicly insured, and 94% had documented substance use. HCV treatment initiation increased from 28/164 (17.1%) women with chronic HCV infection in the preintervention period to 16/66 (24.2%) with the linkage-only intervention and 13/25 (52.0%) with the linkage intervention and colocated care. Adjusted analyses demonstrated that women delivering during the intervention period initiated HCV treatment at 2.40 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-5.25; linkage only) and 3.36 times (95% CI, 1.57-7.17; linkage and colocated care) the rate of women delivering preintervention. Women on buprenorphine had higher HCV treatment initiation rates compared with those on methadone (rate ratio, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.05-4.21). Conclusion: HCV linkage to care and treatment rates improved in the setting of mother-infant linkage and colocated care interventions. Perinatal care may represent a critical venue to identify, link, and treat women for HCV infection to improve their own health and prevent transmission to subsequent pregnancies.
Regulation of Respiration and Pyruvate Dehydrogenase in Isolated Cardiac Myocytes and Hepatocytes

The classic work of Chance and Williams (1956) did much to explain the mechanism of the respiratory control shown by isolated mitochondria and focused attention on the stimulation of hydrogen transfer by the respiratory chain in response to the increased availability of ADP to the mitochondria. This treatment has been widely accepted in the years since the original work, with the modification that Mitchell’s chemiosmotic hypothesis (1966, 1979), concerning the mechanism of the linkage between redox events and phosphorylation, has received much support. This view that mitochondrial respiration is controlled by the availability of ADP as a substrate for phosphorylation, though undoubtedly much of the truth, is not the whole story for mitochondria respiring in situ, in a tissue. Under these conditions, substrate availability and dehydrogenase activity also contribute to the control of flux through the overall pathway of oxidative phosphorylation. That substrate-level control of this sort has not received much attention is probably a consequence of the general use of saturating oxidizable substrate concentrations in in vitro experiments with mitochondria. It is the purpose of this article to examine the process of control at the level of the dehydrogenases in two different types of cells, cardiac myocytes and hepatocytes, and particularly to emphasize the relation between activation of the dehydrogenases and of the respiratory chain. We aim to present the point of view that ADP and Ca2+ ions, both more available to the mitochondria in activated tissues, lead to dehydrogenase activation and to the maintenance, or increase, in the span of observed reduction potentials (ΔEh) corresponding to the respiratory chain. Similar views on dehydrogenase regulation have been put forward by Denton and McCormack (1980,1985), who have mainly emphasized the Ca2+ ion. At the same time, increased intramitochondrial [ADP] stimulates hydrogen transfer down the respiratory chain, by acting as a substrate for the ATP-synthase. The consequence is that more rapid oxidative phosphorylation may be achieved with a lesser drop in adenine nucleotide phosphorylation potential (ΔGATP) than would be the case in the absence of dehydrogenase-level activation.