cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantization Index Modulation Methods for Digital Watermarking and Information Embedding of Multimedia

Copyright notification and enforcement, authentication, covert communication, and hybrid transmission applications such as digital audio broadcasting are examples of emerging multimedia applications for digital watermarking and information embedding methods, methods for embedding one signal (e.g., the digital watermark) within another "host" signal to form a third, "composite" signal. The embedding is designed to achieve efficient trade-offs among the three conflicting goals of maximizing information-embedding rate, minimizing distortion between the host signal and composite signal, and maximizing the robustness of the embedding. We present a class of embedding methods called quantization index modulation (QIM) that achieve provably good rate-distortion-robustness performance. These methods, and low-complexity realizations of them called dither modulation, are provably better than both previously proposed linear methods of spread spectrum and nonlinear methods of low-bit(s) modulation against square-error distortion-constrained intentional attacks. We also derive information-embedding capacities for the case of a colored Gaussian host signal and additive colored Gaussian noise attacks. These results imply an information embedding capacity of about 1/3 b/s of embedded digital rate for every Hertz of host signal bandwidth and every dB drop in received host signal quality. We show that QIM methods achieve performance within 1.6 dB of capacity, and we introduce a form of postprocessing we refer to as distortion compensation that, when combined with QIM, allows capacity to be achieved. In addition, we show that distortion-compensated QIM is an optimal embedding strategy against some important classes of intentional attacks as well. Finally, we report simulation results that demonstrate the performance of dither modulation realizations that can be implemented with only a few adders and scalar quantizers.
The role of surgery in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Objectives: To describe the role of surgery in the treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer and advanced prostate cancer. Data Sources: Journals, textbooks, and personal communication. Conclusions: Radical prostatectomy plays a possible role in curing those patients with disease confined to the prostate. Bilateral orchiectomy plays a palliative role for patients with advanced disease. Implications for Nursing Practice: This article provides nurses with the knowledge needed to teach patients about how the surgery is performed, the associated complications, and the likelihood of cancer control.
Dynamic planar map illustration

There are many types of illustrations that are easier to create in planar-map-based illustration systems than in the more common stacking-based systems. One weakness shared by all existing planar-map-based systems is that the editability of the drawing is severely hampered once coloring has begun. The paths that define the areas to be filled become divided wherever they intersect, making it difficult or impossible to edit them as a whole. Live Paint is a new metaphor that allows planar-map-based coloring while maintaining all the original paths unchanged. When a user makes a change, the regions and edges defined by the new paths take on fill and stroke attributes from the previous regions and edges. This results in greater editing flexibility and ease of use. Live Paint uses a set of heuristics to match each region and edge in a changed illustration with a region or edge in the previous version, a task that is more difficult than it at first appears. It then transfers fill and stroke attributes accordingly.
BEHIND THE SEAMS: DESIGNERS AND TAILORS IN POPULAR HINDI CINEMA

This article examines cultural production and social relations in the making of costume for commercial Hindi cinema, focusing in particular upon costume (“dress”) designers and tailors. Dress designers see themselves as the creative force in costume production, regarding tailors who stitch the costumes as mere technicians. In fact, interviews with tailors reveal that they regard their own contributions as both creative and essential. With the rise in fashion markets and media industries in India, the dress designer is ever more important as an “gimage consultant” who can consolidate a star's positioning in the worlds of both film and fashion. At the same time, the paternalistic connection between tailors and their clients, wherein customers–including film stars–go to a personal tailor to have their clothes made-to-measure, endures. In converting the designer's conception into a costume, the tailor claims a degree of inventiveness and creativity that is separate from the designer's. At the same time, tailors see themselves providing a necessary and personal service to the star. The tailor, a largely anonymous figure in western film designing and costuming, remains a key figure in Indian film costume.
Complement Activation in Renal Disease

Perturbation of the serum complement system in glomerulonephritis can be the result of classical pathway activation by immune complexes or of C3 activation by the C3-C5 convertase stabilized by the C3 nephritic factor. Low C3 levels can also be the result of diminished C3 synthesis and possibly, in certain circumstances, of C3 convertases deposited on capillary walls. In glomerulonephritis the complement profile is helpful in diagnosis, in following the course of therapy and in providing insights into pathogenesis. Complement profiles must be interpreted recognizing that a pattern resembling classical pathway activation can be produced by idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, that hypogammaglobulinemia can reduce C1q levels, and that a primary deficiency of factor H or I or both, will secondarily produce subnormal levels of C3 and factor B. With these caveats, the complement profiles typical of systemic lupus erythematosus, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, acute glomerulonephritis, acquired C1 inhibitor...
Continuous Maps on Digital Simple Closed Curves

We give digital analogues of classical theorems of topology for continuous functions defined on spheres, for digital simple closed curves. In particular, we show the following. ? A digital simple closed curve of more than 4 points is not contractible, i.e., its identity map is not nullhomotopic in . ? Let and be digital simple closed curves, each symmetric with respect to the origin, such that (where is the number of points in ). Let be a digitally continuous antipodal map. Then is not nullho- motopic in . ? Let be a digital simple closed curve that is symmetric with respect to the origin. Let be a digitally continuous map. Then there is a pair of antipodes such that .
Determination of junction temperature in AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors by electrical measurement

A method of measuring the junction temperature and associated thermal resistance of heterojunction bipolar transistors by using the temperature dependence of the DC gain is described. >
Data Monitoring in the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial: Early Termination of the Doxazosin Treatment Arm

The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial’s (ALLHAT) hypertension component was designed to determine whether the incidence of fatal coronary heart disease or non-fatal myocardial infarction differs between diuretic (chlorthalidone) treatment and each of three other classes of antihypertensive drugs—a calcium antagonist (amlodipine), an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril), or an alpha-adrenergic blocker (doxazosin) in high-risk hypertensive persons aged 55 years and older. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board met twice yearly to review data on participant recruitment, retention, endpoints, and other patient safety issues. The doxazosin arm of the trial was terminated earlier than planned due to the low likelihood of finding a significant difference in the primary outcome by the study’s scheduled end and a significant 25% increase in cardiovascular events for doxazosin compared with chlorthalidone. This decision was made based on recommendations from an ad hoc review committee following a split vote of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board. This paper describes the monitoring guidelines established for ALLHAT and how they were used, the role of secondary endpoints in DSMB deliberations, advance preparations for possible closeout of a study arm, the role of a Special Review Committee, processes for closeout of the doxazosin arm, and lessons learned.
A Combination Disintegration-Dissolution Apparatus for Fast-Disintegrating

AbstractA combination disintegration-dissolution apparatus for fast disintegrating tablets is described. Preliminary investigation using sodium carboxymethyl starch as the disintegrant indicated that the apparatus was capable of detecting differences in the disintegration time both due to disintegrant concentration as well as due to the intensity of agitation used in the apparatus. No difference in the disintegration times could be observed when similar tablets were evaluated using the existing disintegration apparatus.The combination apparatus described is simple in construction and design and can be fabricated quite easily and economically in the laboratory. Due to the anticipated increase in the availability of fast-disintegrating tablets, this apparatus will be useful to the pharmaceutical formulator as a valuable quality control tool. In addition, the apparatus is adaptable to various other agitational systems in common usage and can be used by laboratories carrying out combined disintegration and di...
Prior symmetry, similarity-based reasoning, and endogenous categorization

Abstract This paper presents a rational theory of categorization and similarity-based reasoning. I study a model of sequential learning in which the decision maker infers unknown properties of an object from information about other objects. The decision maker may use the following heuristics: divide objects into categories with similar properties and predict that a member of a category has a property if some other member of this category has this property. The environment is symmetric: the decision maker has no reason to believe that the objects and properties are a priori different. In symmetric environments, categorization is an optimal solution to an inductive inference problem. Any optimal solution looks as if the decision maker categorizes. Various experimental observations about similarity-based reasoning coincide with the optimal behavior in my model.
Molecular Confirmation of Oysters as the Vector for Hepatitis A in a 2005 Multistate Outbreak

Numerous hepatitis A outbreaks were linked to the consumption of raw molluscan shellfish in the United States between 1960 and 1989. However, there had been no major molluscan shellfish‐associated hepatitis A outbreaks reported in the United States for more than a decade (1989 to 2004). Beginning in late August 2005, at least 10 clusters of hepatitis A illnesses, totaling 39 persons, occurred in four states among restaurant patrons who ate oysters. Epidemiologic data indicated that oysters were the source of the outbreak. Traceback information showed that the implicated oysters were harvested from specific Gulf Coast areas. A voluntary recall of oysters was initiated in September. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was detected in multiple 25-g portions in one of two recalled samples, indicating that as many as 1 of every 15 oysters from this source was contaminated. Comparing 315 nucleotides within the HAV VP1-2B region, 100% homology was found among four amplicons recovered from a total of six independent experiments of the implicated oysters, and an identical HAV sequence was detected in sera from all 28 patient serum specimens tested. Ten percent heterogeneity over 315 nucleotides (31 variants) was observed between the outbreak strain (subgenotype 1A) and an HM-175 strain (subgenotype 1B) used in the laboratory where the oysters were processed. To our knowledge, this investigation is the first in the United States to identify an HAV-identical strain in persons with hepatitis A as well as in the food that was implicated as the source of their infections.
Role of the self-association of beta subunits in the oligomeric structure of Na+/K+-ATPase.

The two subunits of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase that are essential for function are alpha and beta. Previous cross-linking studies on the oligomeric structure of the membrane-bound enzyme identified alpha,beta and alpha,alpha associations, but only the former and not the latter could be detected after solubilization. To study the possibility of direct beta,beta association, the purified membrane enzyme and a trypsin-digested enzyme that occludes cations and contains an essentially intact beta and fragments of alpha were subjected to oxidative cross-linking in the presence of Cu(2+)-phenanthroline. Resolution of products on polyacrylamide gels, N-terminal analysis and reactivity with anti-beta antibody showed that, in addition to previously identified products (e.g. alpha,alpha and alpha,beta dimers), a beta,beta dimer, most likely linked through intramembrane Cys(44) residues of two chains, is also formed. This dimer was also noted when digitonin-solubilized intact enzyme, and the trypsin-digested enzyme solubilized with digitonin or polyoxyethylene 10-laurylether were subjected to cross-linking, indicating that the detected beta,beta association was not due to random collisions. In the digested enzyme, K(+) but not Na(+) enhanced beta,beta dimer formation. The alternative cross-linking of beta-Cys(44) to a Cys residue of a transmembrane alpha-helix was antagonized specifically by K(+) or Na(+). The findings (i) indicate the role of beta,beta association in maintaining the minimum oligomeric structure of (alpha,beta)(2), (ii) provide further support for conformation-dependent flexibilities of the spatial relations of the transmembrane helices of alpha and beta and (iii) suggest the possibility of significant differences between the quaternary structures of the P-type ATPases that do and do not contain a beta subunit.
The Supreme Court and the Re-Invention of Differences in Post-Civil Rights America

This paper argues the Supreme Court is a major player in America's re-invention of racial differences. The Court often provides the constitutional and legal justification for either the rise of new and/or demise of older forms of differences. Each re-creation is more subtly connected to race. This more subtly connection to race does not mean the elimination of racial differences, but rather changes in the rules that govern the perception and use of differences. Every generation participates in determining the principles, meaning, and dimensions of racial differences. The decisions of the Supreme Court both reflect and influence the nation's formulation and implementation of the rights of blacks or their status. Such influences are evident from slavery to post-Civil Rights America. Changes in differences are sequential. In the Slaughter-house Case, the Court made significant contribution to how the nation would give meaning to black enslavement and constitutional amendments and federal law enacted after slavery. Another example is Brown I. Brown I constructed the meaning of differences and provided constitutional recognition for the legitimacy of the Civil Rights Movement. Post-Civil Rights America is fertile ground for this kind of study.
Analysis and approximation of optimal co-scheduling on cmp

In recent years, the increasing design complexity and the problems of power and heat dissipation have caused a shift in processor technology to favor Chip Multiprocessors. In Chip Multiprocessors (CMP) architecture, it is common that multiple cores share some on-chip cache. The sharing may cause cache thrashing and contention among co-running jobs. Job co-scheduling is an approach to tackling the problem by assigning jobs to cores appropriately so that the contention and consequent performance degradations are minimized. This dissertation aims to tackle two of the most prominent challenges in job co-scheduling. The first challenge is in the computational complexity for determining optimal job co-schedules. This dissertation presents one of the first systematic analyses on the complexity of job co-scheduling. Besides proving the NP completeness of job co-scheduling, it introduces a set of algorithms, based on graph theory and Integer/Linear Programming, for computing optimal co-schedules or their lower bounds in scenarios with or without job migrations. For complex cases, it empirically demonstrates the feasibility for approximating the optimal schedules effectively by proposing several heuristics-based algorithms. These discoveries facilitate the assessment of job co-schedulers by providing necessary baselines, and shed insights to the development of practical co-scheduling systems. The second challenge resides in the prediction of the performance of processes co-running on a shared cache. This dissertation explores the influence on co-run performance prediction imposed by co-runners, program inputs, and cache configurations. Through a sequence of formal analysis, we derive an analytical co-run locality model, uncovering the inherent statistical connections between the data references of programs single-runs and their co-run locality. The model offers theoretical insights on co-run locality analysis and leads to a lightweight approach for fast prediction of shared cache performance. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the model in enabling proactive job co-scheduling. Together, the two-dimensional findings open up many new opportunities for cache management on modern CMP by laying the foundation for job co-scheduling, and enhancing the understanding to data locality and cache sharing significantly.
Institutional Shareholder Services: The Uninvited Guest at the Equity Table

In recent years, Institutional Shareholder Services (was RiskMetrics Governance Services (RMG)) has played an influential role in the proxy voting process. According to some estimates, a recommendation by ISS can sway a proxy vote by 15 to 20 percent. Several companies are highly critical of ISS and the methodology it uses to inform its recommendations - particularly as they relate to equity-based compensation plans. ISS believes that its methodology is both rigorous and objective. We take a closer look and highlight some key issues and reasons for concern.Topics, Issues and Controversies in Corporate Governance and Leadership: The Closer Look series is a collection of short case studies through which we explore topics, issues, and controversies in corporate governance. In each study, we take a targeted look at a specific issue that is relevant to the current debate on governance and explain why it is so important. Larcker and Tayan are co-authors of the book Corporate Governance Matters, and A Real Look at Real World Corporate Governance.
Molecular Layer Processing of Polyaniline via the Use of Hydrogen Bonding Interactions

Molecular layer-by-layer build-up on a variety of substrates is demonstrated for doped polyaniline (PAn) alternating with non-ionic water soluble polymers. The adsorption is enabled by the strong interchain interactions with PAn, such as hydrogen bonding. Multilayer build-up has been demonstrated with four distinctly different non-ionic water soluble polymers: poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(acrylamide) (PAAm), and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Thus, non-ionic water soluble polymers containing a wide variety of functional groups such as amide, hydroxyl or ether groups can be used to successfully fabricate multilayer thin films with polyaniline. FTIR spectroscopy measurements show the PAn to be hydrogen bonded in these multilayer films. Conductivities for multilayer films are on the order of 1-4 S/cm for films doped with methane sulfonic acid. Conductivities on the order of 0.1 S/cm can be achieved for a single mixed layer self-assembled from a mixed solution of PAn/PVP or PAn/PAAm.
The Society of Jesus and the Eradication of Hate

The reality of vendettas, and violent responses against real or supposed breaches of personal or familial honor, marked the landscape of Europe during the early modern period, from nautical expansion, which began in 1450, through the French Revolution in the 1790s. In particular, in cultures identified as Mediterranean, as described as a discrete cultural archetype by historian Fernand Braudel (1972), specific societies held codes of honor and “face,” the term used to designate a personal appearance that reflected a status of inner dignity and exterior relations. Subsequently, violent out- breaks resulted from attempts to return honor, good face, and the respective social and familial relations. As important protagonists in early modern life, the Jesuits found themselves involved in the important the effort to “save face” and to eradicate the hatred that resulted in the accusations against personal or familial honor. This study examines how members of the Society of Jesus worked toward the eradication of hatred and why this effort may be identified as an extension of the Jesuit’s fundamental identity. In order to understand why the Jesuits involved themselves in the eradication of hatred caused by retaliations, vendettas, and other violence related to saving face, this work will first explore the significance of honor in early modern Mediterranean society.
Lightning Protection Performance of Multi-circuit Flashover Simultaneously and Its Prevention for Quadruple-circuit Transmission Lines in a Tower

In order to prevent the multi-circuits transmission lines from lightning trip-out simultaneously more scientifically and effectively,the lightning flashover model for quadruple-circuit transmission lines in a tower was established in EMTP based on the physical process of discharge development of insulator that was struck by lightning.Taking the influence of system working voltage into account by adopting the actual evaluation index of lightning protection performance,the characteristics of lightning trip-out simultaneously for quadruple-circuit line in a tower was studied,as well as the impacts on lightning protection performance caused by the configuration mode of lightning protection measures including phase sequence arrangement,coupling ground wire and so on.The results show that the lightning withstand level fluctuates with phase angle in the shape of non-standard sinusoidal wave approximately;the lightning withstand level comes to the best under the complete reverse phase sequence;the effect of coupling ground wire on the top of tower is preferable to that on the bottom of tower.
Shoulder Internal Derangement and Osteoarthritis in a 25-Year-Old Female Softball Athlete

Abstract Objective The purpose of this report is to describe osteoarthritis and internal derangement of the shoulder in a collegiate softball player. Clinical Features A 25-year-old female softball athlete presented with a history of chronic right shoulder pain. A thorough clinical examination and multiple imaging studies were performed. Osteoarthritis was demonstrated on radiographs, and ligamentous and rotator cuff tendon tears were displayed on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient's treatment plan included full spine manipulation, cold laser therapy, kinesiotaping, stretching, and neuromuscular reeducation of the right shoulder. Interventions and Outcomes The patient reported a decrease in symptoms after 1 month, although treatment was sporadic because of poor patient compliance. Conclusion Osteoarthritis and internal derangement may occur in overhead-throwing athletes, and correct imaging is needed for timely and accurate diagnoses. Following a timely diagnosis, the young patient in this case had a good recovery with multimodal chiropractic care.
Immunohistochemistry and Brain Tumors

Diagnostic neuro-oncologic pathology, as in most areas of surgical pathology, has significantly benefited from recent rapid advances in immunohistochemistry (IHC). Although there has been a constant stream of new IHC markers introduced in the field of surgical pathology, this article will discuss the features of selected IHC antibodies that have been routinely used in diagnostic neuro-oncology practice as well as that were very recently introduced and have dramatic impact on the diagnosis and differential diagnosis in both glial and nonglial tumors.
Energetics of Oxidation in MoS2 Nanoparticles by Density Functional Theory

Density functional theory is used to determine the energetics of atomic oxygen substitution in an infinite single MoS2 trilayer and on the edges of six structurally distinct MoS2 nanoparticles. The...
Further investigation of a quantitative trait locus for ascites on chromosome 9 in broiler chicken lines.

Abstract Previously, we reported a genome wide association study (GWAS) that had shown association of a region between 11.8 and 13.6 Mbp on chromosome 9 with ascites phenotype in broilers. We had used microsatellite loci to demonstrate an association of particular genotypes for this region with ascites in experimental ascites lines and commercial broiler breeder lines. We identified two potential candidate genes, AGTR1 and UTS2D, within that chromosomal region for mediating the quantitative effect. We have now extended our analysis using SNPs for these genes to assess association with resistance or susceptibility to ascites in these same broiler lines. Surprisingly, in contrast to our previous GWAS and microsatellite data for this region, we find no association of the SNP genotypes or haplotypes in the region suggesting that the two genes might have limited association with the disease phenotype.
Homogeneous And Layered Alternating Projection Neural Networks

We consider a class of neural networks whose performance can be analyzed and geometrically visualized in a signal space environment. Alternating projection neural networks (APNN's) perform by alternately projecting between two or more constraint sets. Criteria for desired and unique convergence are easily established. The network can be taught from a training set by viewing each library vector only once. The network can be configured as either a content addressable memory (homogeneous form) or classifier (layered form). The number of patterns that can be stored in the network is on the order of the number of input and hidden neurons. If the output neurons can take on only one of two states, then the trained layered APNN can be easily configured to converge in one iteration. More generally, convergence is at an exponential rate. Convergence can be improved by the use of sigmoid type nonlinearities, network relaxation and/or increasing the number of neurons in the hidden layer. The manner in which the network generalizes can be directly evaluated.
Stimulation with High Potassium

In the normal sequence of physiological events leading from excitation to contraction in smooth muscle, a depolarizing stimulus initiates a series of steps that eventually result in a contractile response. Experimentally, a dissociation between events related to excitation and those occurring subsequent to this is of value in order to study and to characterize the component cellular reactions in an unambiguous fashion. Development and use of high potassium solutions has been one of the more valuable approaches to these problems.
Abstract T P76: Cerebral Lactate and Monocarboxylate Transporters Are Reduced by Ethanol and Normobaric Oxygen Therapy after Severe Transient and Permanent Ischemic Stroke

Objectives: Recent studies conducted by this lab have shown the neuroprotective benefits of ethanol (EtOH) and normobaric oxygenation (NBO), which is partially due to amelioration of aberrant glucose metabolism and a reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the current study, we sought to identify whether the neuroprotective benefits of EtOH, with or without NBO, attenuates lactic acidosis by reducing expression of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), resulting in ROS reduction after transient and permanent ischemic stroke. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats (n=64) were subjected to right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h or 4 h (transient ischemia), or 28h (permanent ischemia) followed by 3h, 24h, or no reperfusion. Rats in each group were randomly assigned to receive either an injection of saline (sham treatment), an intraperitoneal injection of EtOH (1.5g/kg), two doses of EtOH (1.5g/kg at onset of reperfusion followed by 1.0 g/kg 2 h after 1 st dose), or EtOH + 95% NBO for 6 h (permanent ischemia). Lactate and ROS levels were detected at 3h and 24h following reperfusion. Gene and protein expressions of MCT-1, MCT-2, and MCT-4 were assessed by RT-PCR and Western Blotting, respectively. Results: A dose dependent neuroprotection of EtOH administration was found in transient ischemia. Single dose in 2 h MCAO and double dose in 4 h MCAO significantly attenuated lactate levels and ROS generation, MCT-1, MCT-2, and MCT-4 mRNA and protein expression after severe transient ischemia. However, EtOH treatment alone, even with 2 doses, was insufficient for permanent stroke, while combination therapy (EtOH + 95% NBO) resulted in a more potent decrease of all levels and expressions. Conclusions: Our study suggests that acute EtOH administration can attenuate lactic acidosis-induced oxidative stress following a transient ischemic stroke. This EtOH-induced attenuation of brain injury was enhanced by NBO in permanent ischemic stroke. Both EtOH and NBO are widely available, inexpensive, easy to administer, and have few side effects. Ultimately, this combination therapy could be an effective approach to future stroke treatments.
Hurst Persistence in UAH Zonal Mean Lower Troposphere Temperatures

Zonal monthly means of UAH satellite based measurements of lower troposphere temperature anomalies 12/1978 to 4/2017 are examined for violations of the independence assumption of OLS linear regression. The Hurst Exponent (H), computed at a monthly time scale, is used as the measure of dependence. It is found that the independence assumption of OLS linear regression is violated in the UAH temperature anomaly time series. The apparent multi-decadal non-linearity found in a prior work may be related to non-linear dynamics implied by the Hurst phenomenon. The interpretation of OLS linear regression trend lines for these time series in terms of anthropogenic global warming should be made with caution, particularly so in view of the short time span of the data, because the data do not comply with OLS assumptions.
vU-net: accurate cell edge segmentation in time-lapse fluorescence live cell images based on convolutional neural network

Time-lapse fluorescence live cell imaging has been widely used to study various dynamical processes in cell biology. However, fluorescence live cell images often have low contrast, noises, and uneven illumination, preventing accurate cell segmentation. The convolutional neural network has been successfully applied in natural image classification and segmentation by extracting hierarchical features, which could be transferred into other fields for image segmentation. Moreover, the temporal coherence in time-lapse images can allow us to extract sufficient features from a limited number of image frames to segment the entire time-lapse movies. In this paper, we propose a novel framework called vU-net, which integrates the VGG-161 pretrained model as an encoder and a U-net2 derived simplified convolutional structure to reconstruct cell edge with a higher accuracy using limited training images. We evaluated our framework on the high-resolution images of paxillin, a canonical adhesion marker in migrating PtK1 cells acquired by a Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscope, and achieved higher accuracy of cell segmentation than conventional U-net. We also validated our framework on noisy confocal fluorescence live images of GFP-mDia1 in PtK1 cells. We demonstrated that vU-net could be practically applied to challenging live cell movies since it required limited training sets and achieved highly accurate segmentation.
Comprehensive Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease by Using First-Pass Analysis Dynamic CT Perfusion: Validation in a Swine Model

The first-pass analysis technique was retrospectively validated in a swine model and has the potential to be used for accurate, low-dose vessel-specific morphologic and physiologic assessment of coronary artery disease.
A conceptual model for understanding academic physicians' performances of identity: Findings from the university of Utah

PURPOSE To explore how academic physicians perform social and professional identities and how their personal experiences inform professional identity formation. METHOD Semistructured interviews and observations were conducted with 25 academic physicians of diverse gender and racial/ethnic backgrounds at the University of Utah School of Medicine from 2015 to 2016. Interviews explored the domains of social identity, professional identity, and relationships with patients and colleagues. Patient interactions were observed. Interviews and observations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory. RESULTS Three major themes emerged: Physicians' descriptions of identity differed based on social identities, as women and racially/ethnically minoritized participants linked their gender and racial/ethnic identities, respectively, to their professional roles more than men and white, non-Latino/a participants; physicians' descriptions of professional practice differed based on social identities, as participants who associated professional practices with personal experiences often drew from events connected to their minoritized identities; and physicians' interactions with patients corresponded to their self-described actions. CONCLUSIONS Professional identity formation is an ongoing process, and the negotiation of personal experiences is integral to this process. This negotiation may be more complex for physicians with minoritized identities. Implications for medical education include providing students, trainees, and practicing physicians with intentional opportunities for reflection and instruction on connecting personal experiences and professional practice.
Mechanisms of Fat Absorption and the Development of Gastrointestinal Function

Information concerning the mechanisms of fat absorption is integrated and related to the development of gastrointestinal function in the human infant. The roles of various nutrient lipid sources are examined within the framework of this developmental sequence, and specific pathophysiological events which serve to illustrate mechanisms operative in malabsorption syndromes or which are amenable to specific therapy are discussed.
Cell-Based Noninvasive Prenatal Testing: A Promising Path for Prenatal Diagnosis

Abstract Current noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) based on cell-free fetal DNA extracted from maternal plasma, has brought about a huge change in the field of prenatal testing, even though it should still be considered as a screening test with limited purpose rather than a diagnostic test. Cell-based NIPT could provide a very valuable alternative, as it is suitable for the detection of aneuploidies, subchromosomal copy number abnormalities, and single gene mutations. Fetal cells present in the maternal circulation have been a topic of interest for decades, with the current focus mainly being on trophoblastic cells and fetal nucleated red blood cells. This review gives an overview on how cell-based NIPT has evolved over the years, and what the current achievements and challenges are. Although no cell-based test is yet commercially available, it is clear that the development of this method is approaching clinical implementation.
Effect of transplant status in CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown promise for relapsed/refractory malignancies. Many patients have undergone prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), yet effects of transplant status on CAR T-cell therapy efficacy and safety have not been reported. The purpose of the study is to systematically evaluate the likelihood of achieving optimum response, severe cytokine release syndrome (sCRS), and neurotoxicity in the context of CAR T-cell therapy for HSCT-naive patients versus those with prior HSCT. Trials were identified in ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, and PubMed, and through reference pearl growing. Included studies used CD19-directed CAR T-cells for relapsed/refractory B-lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and B cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, enrolled both HSCT-naive and prior-HSCT patients, and denoted transplant status with outcomes. Six studies were included for optimum response, five for sCRS incidence, and four for neurotoxicity incidence. The pooled odds ratio for optimum response was 1.57 favoring HSCT-naive patients (95% CI 0.54-4.61), whereas the pooled odds ratios for sCRS and neurotoxicity were 1.41 (95% CI 0.51-3.94) and 1.37 (95% CI 0.28-6.77), respectively, toward HSCT-naive patients. Odds ratios were non-statistically significant. Overall risk of bias was moderate. While pooled estimates showed an advantage among HSCT-naive patients for achieving optimum response and increased likelihood for sCRS and neurotoxicity, findings were not statistically significant. Any differences in efficacy and safety of CAR T-cell therapy cannot be verifiably attributed to transplant status, and additional controlled trials with increased sample sizes are needed to determine whether suggestive patterns favoring HSCT-naive patients are validated.
Navigation Data Bit Decoding of Weak GNSS Signal

The predominant technique to improve the receiver's sensitivity is extending integration time coherently. However, data modulation limits the integration time, which is up to data bit period. Maximum likelihood (ML) estimation method is a common way to estimate the data bits. But the ML algorithm is sensitive to Doppler error and has heavy computation load, which depend on the decoding block length. In this paper, a differential detection method is proposed for data bit decoding. Differential decoding has merit of low computation complexity and fitting for long integration time. The simulation results show the robustness to Doppler error of differential decoding algorithm.
Abstract P316: Effects of Paternal Contribution of a Null Allele of Regulator of G Protein Signaling-2 (Rgs2) upon the Placental Transcriptome of C57BL/6J Mice

Preeclampsia (PreE), a cardiovascular disorder of pregnancy, remains a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality worldwide. The early etiology of the disorder is unclear, though increased G prote...
Stressful life events and cognitive decline: Sex differences in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow-Up Study.

Introduction The reasons why women are at higher risk than men for developing dementia are unclear. Although studies implicate sex differences in the effect of stress on cognitive functioning, whether stressful life events are associated with subsequent cognitive decline has received scant research attention. Methods In Wave 3 (1993-1996) of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, 337 men and 572 women (mean age = 47 years) reported recent (within the last year) and remote (from 1981 until 1 year ago) traumatic events (eg, combat) and stressful life events (eg, divorce/separation). At Waves 3 and 4 (2004-2005), they completed the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a word-list memory test. Multivariable models were used to examine the association between traumatic and stressful life events at Wave 3 and cognitive change by Wave 4. Results A greater number of recent stressful life events at Wave 3, but not of more remote stressful events, was associated with greater verbal memory decline by Wave 4 in women but not in men. Stressful events were not associated with change in MMSE, and there were no associations between traumatic events occurring at any time and subsequent memory or MMSE decline in either sex. Conclusions Unlike men, middle-aged women with a greater number of recent stressful life events demonstrate memory decline over a decade later. Sex differences in cognitive vulnerability to stressful life events may underlie women's increased risk of memory impairment in late life, suggesting that stress reduction interventions may help prevent cognitive decline in women.
Learning by exploring: How much guidance is optimal?

Abstract Exploring a new concept before instruction can benefit conceptual understanding, but is demanding. The current experiments examined whether providing guidance during exploration improves learning. Undergraduate students explored the procedures and concept of statistical variance prior to direct instruction. In Experiment 1 (N = 123), exploring using worked examples (full guidance) led to higher posttest scores than exploring using an invention activity (no guidance) or completion problems (partial guidance). In contrast, Experiment 2 (N = 190) found no learning benefit of exploring using worked examples compared to inventing. Overall, exploring improved learning compared to instruct-then-practice conditions. Experiment 3 (N = 147) demonstrated that exploring worked examples improved learning compared to exploring using an invention activity—but only when preceded by a pretest. Students’ reported cognitive load, knowledge gaps, and interest were also assessed. Findings suggest that combining a pretest with worked examples helps students perceive knowledge gaps and discern problem features, maximizing exploration while reducing cognitive load.
False Alarm: The Truth About Political Mistruths in the Trump Era

Americans are not invulnerable to factual information. They do not 'backfire'; facts do not make them less accurate. Instead, they become more accurate, even when corrections target co-partisans. Corrections of fake news yield similar results. Among Republicans, Trump's misstatements are less susceptible to corrections than identical misstatements attributed to other Republicans. While we do not observe facts affecting attitudes, multiple instances of misinformation can increase approval of the responsible politician - but corrections can reduce approval by similar amounts. While corrections do not eliminate false beliefs, they reduce the share of inaccurate beliefs among subjects in this study nearly in half.
Electronic Consults in Otolaryngology: A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Use, Content, and Outcomes in an Academic Health System:

Objectives:To categorize the primary reasons for electronic consults (eConsults) to otolaryngology from primary care physicians (PCPs). To determine how many patients avoided subsequent in-person o...
Learning to Do Qualitative Data Analysis: A Starting Point:

Given the vast and diverse qualitative analytic landscape, what might be a generative starting point for researchers who desire to learn how to produce quality qualitative analyses? This question i...
SPLIT: Stable Protein Coacervation Using a Light Induced Transition

Protein coacervates serve as hubs to concentrate and sequester proteins and nucleotides and thus function as membraneless organelles to manipulate cell physiology. We have engineered a coacervating protein to create tunable, synthetic membraneless organelles that assemble in response to a single pulse of light. Coacervation is driven by the intrinsically disordered RGG domain from the protein LAF-1, and opto-responsiveness is coded by the protein PhoCl, which cleaves in response to 405 nm light. We developed a fusion protein containing a solubilizing maltose-binding protein domain, PhoCl, and two copies of the RGG domain. Several seconds of illumination at 405 nm is sufficient to cleave PhoCl, removing the solubilization domain and enabling RGG-driven coacervation within minutes in cellular-sized water-in-oil emulsions. An optimized version of this system displayed light-induced coacervation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The methods described here provide novel strategies for inducing protein phase separation using light.
Acute Coronary Syndrome Presenting With Hiccups

Acute coronary syndrome can present with atypical symptoms. Hiccups, generally considered benign and self-limiting, can be an indicator of myocardial ischemia if persistent. We present the case of a 62-year-old gentleman with a past medical history significant for hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, and ischemic stroke who presented with persistent hiccups. Coronary angiogram revealed severe triple vessel disease and he underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery, following which his hiccups resolved. There are very few cases that report the association of hiccups and myocardial ischemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in which hiccups were a part of the primary symptoms associated with severe triple vessel coronary artery disease. This could be due to irritation of the phrenic nerve from the infarcted myocardium resulting in activation of the hiccup reflex arc. Our case highlights the association between these two common entities and stresses the importance of having a high index of suspicion, especially among high-risk and elderly patients.
Recombination and lineage-specific mutations linked to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.

Background The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 underscores the need to better understand the evolutionary processes that drive the emergence and adaptation of zoonotic viruses in humans. In the betacoronavirus genus, which also includes SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, recombination frequently encompasses the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Spike protein, which is responsible for viral binding to host cell receptors. In this work, we reconstruct the evolutionary events that have accompanied the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, with a special emphasis on the RBD and its adaptation for binding to its receptor, human ACE2. Methods By means of phylogenetic and recombination analyses, we found evidence of a recombination event in the RBD involving ancestral linages to both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. We then assessed the effect of this recombination at protein level by reconstructing the RBD of the closest ancestors to SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and other Sarbecoviruses, including the most recent common ancestor of the recombining clade. The resulting information was used to measure and compare, in silico, their ACE2-binding affinities using the physics-based trRosetta algorithm. Results We show that, through an ancestral recombination event, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 share an RBD sequence that includes two insertions (positions 432-436 and 460-472), as well as the variants 427N and 436Y. Both 427N and 436Y belong to a helix that interacts directly with the human ACE2 (hACE2) receptor. Reconstruction of ancestral states, combined with protein-binding affinity analyses, suggests that the recombination event involving ancestral strains of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 led to an increased affinity for hACE2 binding and that alleles 427N and 436Y significantly enhanced affinity as well. Conclusions We report an ancestral recombination event affecting the RBD of both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 that was associated with an increased binding affinity to hACE2. Structural modeling indicates that ancestors of SARS-CoV-2 may have acquired the ability to infect humans decades ago. The binding affinity with the human receptor would have been subsequently boosted in SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 through further mutations in RBD.
Speak of the devil: how the satanic temple is changing the way we talk about religion: by Joseph P. Laycock, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2020, xii + 195 pp., indices, £22.99 (hardback), ISBN 978019098498, (e-book), ISBN 9780190948511

Joseph P. Laycock’s book is the first full scholarly work written about The Satanic Temple (TST). This ‘socially-engaged religion’ (p. 14) was officially founded in 2013 by two Harvard University g...