cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Prophylactic Extended-Infusion Carboplatin on Incidence of Hypersensitivity Reactions in Patients with Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Peritoneal Carcinomas.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine whether extended-infusion carboplatin, initiated at approximately the eighth cumulative carboplatin cycle and prior to development of carboplatin hypersensitivity, reduces the incidence of carboplatin hypersensitivity reactions in patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Large integrated health system. PATIENTS A total of 326 patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who received at least eight cumulative cycles of carboplatin between January 2007 and September 2014 were included. Of these, 161 patients received all doses of carboplatin infused over 30 or 60 minutes (standard-infusion group [total of 1317 carboplatin cycles]), and 165 patients received the 3-hour extended infusion of carboplatin administered at approximately the eighth cumulative cycle and prior to development of a hypersensitivity reaction (extended-infusion group [total of 1527 carboplatin cycles]). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups, except significantly more patients in the extended-infusion group received triple premedication therapy prior to infusion (p<0.001). Hypersensitivity reactions occurred in 64 patients (40%) who received standard-infusion carboplatin and 40 patients (24.2%) who received extended-infusion carboplatin (p=0.0027). The median cycle of hypersensitivity reaction development did not differ significantly between the groups: 9 cycles in patients who received standard-infusion versus 11 cycles in patients who received extended-infusion carboplatin (p=0.06). Through regression analysis, the premedication regimen received prior to carboplatin infusion was the only variable significantly associated with hypersensitivity reactions (odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.97, p=0.038). CONCLUSION Patients who received extended-infusion carboplatin experienced a lower incidence of hypersensitivity reactions than patients who received standard-infusion carboplatin, which may be attributed to the triple premedication regimen received more frequently in patients in the extended-infusion group.
Epinephrine-induced changes in hepatic glucose production after ethanol

Previous studies indicate that catecholamines play an important role in mediating the glucose metabolic response to endotoxin. Because acute ethanol (EtOH) intoxication impairs this response, the present study was initiated to ascertain whether EtOH attenuates the lipopolysaccharide response by decreasing the increment in plasma catecholamines after endotoxin or by decreasing the responsiveness of rats to epinephrine. All studies were performed on chronically catheterized fasted rats infused intravenously with either EtOH or an equal volume of saline. In the first series of experiments, intravenous administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin increased, to the same extent, the plasma concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine in both saline- and EtOH-infused rats. In the second study, rats were infused with [3-3H]glucose to assess whole body glucose metabolism and the ability of EtOH to alter the glucose metabolic response to epinephrine. The exogenous infusion of a maximally stimulating dose of epinephrine (1 microgram.min-1.kg-1) into saline-infused control animals for 3 h produced a marked hyperglycemia that resulted from a sustained increase in the rate of hepatic glucose production and a reduction in the metabolic clearance rate for glucose. EtOH infusion did not prevent the epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia but blunted the stimulatory effect of epinephrine on glucose production. The differences in glucose metabolism between saline- and EtOH-treated rats could not be explained by changes in plasma insulin or glucagon concentrations. Furthermore, the ability of EtOH to impair the epinephrine-induced increase in glucose production was still evident in rats treated with 4-methylpyrazole, an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Multiple system organ failure.

The current understanding of organ failures and their clinical presentation is reviewed. Some broad categories of the investigation of the pathophysiology of this failure are presented: blood-borne toxins, the microaggregate concept, host-defense dysfunction, and biochemical studies of altered metabolism in patients with sepsis.
Preference for Some Other Pollens Shown by Lines of Honeybees Selected for High and Low Alfalfa Pollen Collection

SummaryThe collection of pollen by high and low alfalfa pollen collecting lines of honeybees was studied at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where no alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is grown. The high line collected significantly more pollen than the low line from Trifolium repens, Cornus drummondii, Ampelopsis arborea, Polygonum spp., Lippia lanceolata and Geranium carolinianum. The low line collected significantly more than the high line from Tradescantia bracteata, Rhus radicans, Ambrosia spp. and Solidago spp. Twenty-four pollen sources were studied.
Outer Limits and Earth: Gender Spins in Two New York Exhibitions

Genesis P-Orridge: Try to Altar EverythingRubin Museum of ArtMarch 11—August 1, 2016Nicole Eisenman: Al-ugh-oriesNew Museum of Contemporary ArtMay 4—June 26, 2016LGBTQIA—P? According to Genesis Bre...
Revisiting the Olympic Effect

By utilizing the log-linear gravity model, other authors have found statistically robust, permanent and large effects of hosting mega-events (e.g. Olympics) on international exports. Surprisingly, they found that the unsuccessful bidders to host the Olympics experienced a similar impact on exports. Utilizing alternate specification such as the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) estimation that allows for heteroskedasticity prevalent in trade data, the this paper fails to find a robust positive effect of hosting and bidding for a mega-event on total aggregate exports. Under heteroskedasticity, the parameters of log-linearized models estimated by ordinary least squares (OLS) lead to biased estimates of the true elasticities.
Open-Source Agriculture Initiative—Food for the Future?

In the 10,000 years of agriculture’s history, advancements have enabled three society-altering revolutions. We believe that food computing, an alternative, distributed farming system based on new methods of communication, sensing, data collection, and automation, will enable network-effect advantages in the next generation of food production and give rise to the Internet of Food and the next agricultural revolution. At the MIT OpenAG Initiative, we are working on building this new digital-plant-recipe-centric network, a database of “climate recipes” for achieving the desired phenotypic expression of the plant in question. The food computer, or FC, that we are developing is a term for an agricultural technology platform that creates a controlled environment using robotic control systems and actuated climate, energy, and plant sensing mechanisms, designed to optimize agricultural production by monitoring and actuating a desired climate inside of a growing chamber that in turn creates desired phenotypic traits in plants. With iterative experimentation, we could hypothetically map the entire phenome of a selected plant and correlate certain phenotypic traits with specific environmental stimuli—our Open Phenome Project, a catalog of the epigenetic expression of plant life. Currently, the commercially available systems are being developed as closed proprietary systems noncompatible with other platforms of the same scale or across scales. We imagine a very different future, with open and cross-compatible technology platforms underlying a distributed network of FCs of various scales using digital plant recipes and the controlled environment climate as the scaling factor.
Thermal Destruction of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Human Milk.

A continuous flow high-temperature short-time pasteurization system was used to determine kinetic parameters (D- and z-values) for thermal destruction of the bacterial pathogens, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae , in mature human milk. D-and z-alues of each bacterium were determined from data on survivors enumerated on both selective media, Violet Red Bile agar or MacConkey's, and on a non-selective medium, nutrient agar (NA). For E. coli , D-values were determined at 58, 60, 62 and 64°C. The predicted value of D at 60°C is 31.5 s. The z-value for E. coli is 3.2°C. D-values for K. pneumoniae were determined at 52, 56 and 58°C. Based on these data the predicted value of D at 60°C is 1.3 s. The z-value for K. pneumoniae , is 2.8°C. For both E. coli and K. pneumoniae , counts on NA tend to be higher than on selective media. This is undoubtedly due to the inhibitory nature of the selective media. This also suggests that some degree of thermal injury may occur for each organism.
Incorporating subpanel DC-DC converters into solar array design

Subpanel dc-dc converters have demonstrated improved energy harvest in photovoltaic (PV) arrays experiencing mismatch. Converters decouple neighboring solar panels and subunits within them to improve energy production. As the technology matures and converter deployments become more commonplace, solar array design methods must adapt. This work will investigate potential benefits offered by including converter operation in the initial stages of array design. We show that the installed energy density of a rooftop array can be increased as conventional rules of thumb are traded against new operating capabilities. Additionally, a comparison is made with existing simulation tools which finds that current simulators may overestimate inter-row shading effects and produced energy density can be increased by 5–15% with suitable designs.
A Spintronic Voltage-Controlled Stochastic Oscillator for Event-Driven Random Sampling

A voltage-controlled stochastic oscillator (VCSO) utilizing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is introduced. The VCSO can be used in analog-to-digital information conversion systems for low-energy applications. Experiments show that the thermally activated switching rate of the MTJ is modulated by using an applied voltage across the device via the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effect. The MTJ is deliberately designed to have a relatively short retention time by reducing the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The macrospin MTJ compact model is implemented into a circuit design platform as a noise source, which allows the VCSO to generate an event-driven stochastic sampling signal (ESS). Since the average sampling frequency of the ESS is efficiently modulated by the maximum frequency of the input signal, it can drastically reduce the energy consumption of the system. The circuit simulation shows that the frequency range of the ESS and its slope can be optimized by adjusting the MTJ parameters. The VSCO can achieve 20 times improvement in area-efficiency and reduce power consumption by more than three times compared with the previous works.
How Viruses Enter Cells: A Story behind Bacteriophage T4

Viruses are the most abundant biological agents in nature that need to enter living cells to successfully replicate (1). Although cells are protected by membranes, viruses have developed elaborate mechanisms to overcome this defense. One of the most known and fascinating examples is bacteriophage T4, which infects Escherichia coli bacteria (2). The structure of this virus has been well investigated (2–6). It consists of three main parts that are assembled independently and then joined together to produce a mature phage (2).
Lyapunov-Based Range Identification For A Paracatadioptric System

Many applications require the interpretation of the Euclidean coordinates of features of a 3-dimensional (3D) object through 2D images. In this paper, the range and the Euclidean coordinates of an object undergoing general affine motion are determined, via a nonlinear observer, for a physically realizable paracatadioptric imaging system. The nonlinear estimator asymptotically determines the range information provided that the Euclidean motion parameters are known. The proposed technique is developed through a Lyapunov-based design and stability analysis, and simulation results are provided that illustrate the performance of the state estimator.
Structure and evolution of photosynthetic accessory pigment systems with special reference to phycobiliproteins.

Everyone who has observed and considered a field of marine algae on the seashore at low tide knows that there are four very conspicuous groups of plants in the ocean. They are the blue-green, red, brown, and green algae. The obvious question is, Why does the sea contain plants of such a variety of colors when the land supports only green vegetation?… It is here suggested that the various pigments involved were originally called into existence in response to certain physical environmental forces or variables and that by far the most important of these external factors was illumination, the quantity or quality of which was determined or modified by two different media, (a) the sea water in which the organisms lived and (b) the layer of atmosphere above it.
High voltage SiC super-cascode power switch parameter optimization for loss reduction

A method for voltage balancing capacitor selection of high voltage silicon carbide (SiC) Junction Gate Field Effect Transistor (JEFTs) based super-cascode power switch (SCPS) is presented in this paper. The proposed method can effectively reduce the device switching loss as well as thermal stress on critical components caused by repetitive avalanche. The basic operation principle of SCPS is shown at the beginning of the paper with critical modes. Then, equations to describe the voltage distribution among all the SiC JEFTs have been derived. Based on the derived equations, a sizing method of the SCPS voltage balancing capacitors is proposed to accelerate the device switching speed and minimize the avalanche time of its internal diodes. Compared with no voltage balancing capacitor case, the turn-on loss of the SCPS with sized capacitors has been reduced to 9.7%. The turn-off loss has been reduced to 48.4%.
Strength Properties and Behavior of Fresh and Abraded Railway Ballasts in Unsaturated Conditions

Railway ballast is an important component of the railroad substructure, providing resistance to forces, distribution of loads to reduce stress on the subgrade, and drainage of water away from the track. To better understand the strength properties and behavior that govern its ability to perform these tasks, laboratory testing can be performed on ballast under various conditions. In this study, 10-inch (25.4 cm) diameter triaxial specimens are prepared using an abraded ballast most closely matching AREMA #4 gradation, taken from track located in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. Each specimen is prepared to the same density, with variation in water content and confining pressures tested. Tests are performed in the dry condition, field capacity condition, and at 50% of field capacity. For each of these water contents, confining pressures of 5 psi (34.5 kPa), 10 psi (68.9 kPa), and 15 psi (103.4 kPa) are used. From these tests, friction angle, Poisson’s ratio, and Modulus of Elasticity are determined, as well as stress-strain and volumetric strain behavior. Furthermore, these results are compared to tests performed previously at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This series of tests were performed under the same exact conditions, but instead used a highly angular, freshly quarried Connecticut granite. Comparison of these two materials under the same conditions provides an understanding of how ballast behavior and strength properties may change over time.
Axionlike particles at FASER: The LHC as a photon beam dump

The goal of ForwArd Search ExpeRiment (FASER) at the LHC is to discover light, weakly interacting particles with a small and inexpensive detector placed in the far-forward region of ATLAS or CMS. A promising location in an unused service tunnel 480 m downstream of the ATLAS interaction point (IP) has been identified. Previous studies have found that FASER has significant discovery potential for new particles produced at the IP, including dark photons, dark Higgs bosons, and heavy neutral leptons. In this study, we explore a qualitatively different, ``beam dump'' capability of FASER, in which the new particles are produced not at the IP, but through collisions in detector elements further downstream. In particular, we consider the discovery prospects for axionlike particles (ALPs) that couple to the standard model through the $a\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ interaction. TeV-scale photons produced at the IP collide with the TAXN neutral particle absorber 130 m downstream, producing ALPs through the Primakoff process, and the ALPs then decay to two photons in FASER. We show that FASER can discover ALPs with masses ${m}_{a}\ensuremath{\sim}30--400\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$ and couplings ${g}_{a\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\ensuremath{-}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, and we discuss the ALP signal characteristics and detector requirements.
CHEMICAL REGULATION OF CAROTENOID BIOSYNTHESIS

A large number of onium compounds regulate carotenoid biosynthesis in plant tissues. Some exert their action by inhibition of biosynthetic pathways. Conversely, others stimulate the biosynthetic pathways. Research efforts involved in the development of the latter compounds have generated a substantial amount of information relative to structure-activity relationships for bioregulation of carotenoid pigments in microorganisms and higher plants. Both the trans - and cis - biosynthetic pathways can be regulated. Compounds of the general formula (C 2 H 5 ) 2 N CH 2 C 2 R stimulate the production of trans -carotenoids whereas compounds of the type (C 2 H 5 ) 2 N R 1 R 2 regulate the biosynthesis of cis -carotenoids. The carotenoid pattern observed is determined essentially by the nature of the onium compounds employed.
Using Holland's Theory to Study Patterns of College Student Success: The Impact of Major Fields on Students

For the past ten years or so we have explored the use of the person-environment fit theory of John Holland (1966, 1973, 1985a, 1997) to study the change and stability of abilities, interests and values of college students within their academic disciplines (Smart & Feldman, 1998; Smart et al., 2000, 2006; Feldman et al., 2001; Feldman et al., 1999, 2004). In doing so, we have become increasingly cognizant of the following two properties of Holland’s theory: (1) its usefulness in tracking alternative kinds of student success; and (2) the strength of the sociological potentials and implications embedded within it. The present chapter presents a systematic exposition and articulation of these two domains of interest. After presenting a brief overview of Holland’s theory, we use the theory to consider new directions for research on college student success. The ensuing discussion focuses on alternative patterns of student success (within major fields), which we illustrate with longitudinal data. We then consider the practical, programmatic and policy implications of our analysis, followed by a comparison of Holland’s theory with other contemporary efforts to understand student success.
6.602 – Bone Cement

Total joint replacement is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis. Bone cement revolutionized the fixation of artificial joints. This chapter presents an overview of the mechanical properties and behaviors of poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement. The success of a cemented artificial joint depends on the integrity of the bone cement, which, in turn, depends on the mechanical properties. The factors that affect the mechanical properties can include those internal to the bone cement, such as the chemical formulation or type of radiopacifier, and those external to the bone cement, such as mixing technique and initial temperature of the components. In this chapter, we review not only the investigations to measure the properties, but also the efforts to change and improve bone cement. The success of cemented total joints may be improved by improving the mechanical reliability of the bone cement.
INTERACTIONS AND PROPERTIES OF SOME COMPONENTS OF THE RENIN–ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM IN BRAIN

Publisher Summary Angiotensin II has a variety of actions on the central nervous system. The chapter demonstrates that the receptors for at least some of the central actions of angiotensin are in areas outside the blood–brain barrier and are, thus, readily accessible to circulating angiotensin. These areas include the subfornical organ and the area postrema. It has been proposed that the renal renin–angiotensin system participates in the control of extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure not only through its direct effects on vascular smooth muscle and aldosterone secretion but also through its central actions on sympathetic activity and water intake. There is also evidence that circulating angiotensin influences the secretion of vasopressin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The chapter describes some studies performed in the laboratory to characterize some of the components of the renin–angiotensin system present in the central nervous system and to determine the extent to which they interact.
The Fiscal Crises in Welfare Democracies: With Some Implications for Public Investment

It is generally acknowledged that Western welfare democracies, in Europe and America (Japan may also be included in the listing), face severe fiscal crises. Constituency demands for entitlement-like welfare transfers based on public expectations for continuance of existing programs, exceed the revenues that the same constituents are willing to provide in taxes. There is a political mismatch between the two sides of the budgetary account. Only in the 1980s and 1990s did the vulnerabilities of the extended welfare states become increasingly apparent, along with emerging recognition of long-run nonsustainability. The “Swedish model,” with generous programs of general income support along with very high rates of tax, has been totally transformed, from a pattern to be emulated in the 1960s to a pattern to be avoided in the 1990s.
Resting-state functional connectivity of subcortical locomotor centers explains variance in walking capacity

Walking capacity influences the quality of life and disability in normal aging and neurological disease, but the neural correlates remain unclear and subcortical locomotor regions identified in animals have been more challenging to assess in humans. Here we test whether resting-state functional MRI connectivity (rsFC) of midbrain and cerebellar locomotor regions (MLR and CLR) is associated with walking capacity among healthy adults. Using phenotypic and MRI data from the Nathan Kline Institute Rockland Sample (n =119, age 18-85), the association between walking capacity (6-min walk test distance) and rsFC was calculated from subcortical locomotor regions to 81 other gait-related regions of interest across the brain. Additional analyses assessed the independence and specificity of the results. Walking capacity was associated with higher rsFC between the MLR and superior frontal gyrus adjacent to the anterior cingulate cortex, higher rsFC between the MLR and paravermal cerebellum, and lower rsFC between the CLR and primary motor cortex foot area. These rsFC correlates were more strongly associated with walking capacity than phenotypic variables such as age, and together explained 25% of the variance in walking capacity. Results were specific to locomotor regions compared with the other brain regions. The rsFC of locomotor centers correlates with walking capacity among healthy adults. These locomotion-related biomarkers may prove useful in future work aimed at helping patients with reduced walking capacity.
Phenotypes of the inflammatory cells in the induced sputum from young children or infants with recurrent wheezing.

Background To identify inflammatory cell types by phenotypic analysis of the inflammatory cells in the induced sputum. Methods This retrospective study included 1232 children and infants, who were assigned into mild/moderate groups (326) and severe group (602) by clinical symptom scores. Phenotypes of sputum inflammatory cells were analyzed using liquid-based thin-cytologic test and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) was quantified by ELISA. Results Blood eosinophil count, serum total IgE level, and allergen detection rate were significantly higher in the severe group. In the 905 cases of qualified sputum, 526 cases exhibited at least one type of inflammatory cells, including neutrophil (343, 65.2%), eosinophil (161, 30.6%), and mixed granulocytes (22, 4.2%). Levels of neutrophils and eosinophils were significantly higher in the severe group than mild/moderate group, and eosinophil was predominant in the severe group. Serum EDN was 104.8 ± 39.4 μg/l in the eosinophil phenotype group, 112.6 ± 41.2 μg/l in the mixed group, 88.2 ± 36.6 μg/l in the neutrophil phenotype group, and 60.9 ± 34.6 μg/l in the paucigranulocytic phenotype group. Conclusion Induced-sputum inflammatory cell count may be used to determine phenotype of wheezing. The criteria of classifying adult asthma could be applicable for children and infants.
Inverse Designed Fano Resonance in Silicon Microresonators

We experimentally demonstrate that, for standard silicon-photonic resonators, a Fano lineshape can be created in the response function by placing an inverse-designed reflecting element into the side-coupled waveguide. Inverse design allows for robust control of the Fano spectrum and small device footprint, with wide applications in optical sensing, switching, and passive isolation. © 2019 The Author(s)
Contribution of GABAA receptor subunits to attention and social behavior.

Abstract Introduction GABA dysfunction is associated with a number of psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, autism and depression. Blocking cortical GABAA receptors in rodents causes behavioral deficits, including impaired attention and sociability, that are consistent with the symptoms of these conditions. The subunit composition of GABAA receptors is diverse and can affect receptor function. The current experiment examined the role of GABAA receptors containing different α-subunits in social behavior and attention. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered FG7142 (0.0–5.0 mg/kg; a non-selective GABAA receptor inverse agonist), L-655,708 (0–1.0 mg/kg; a low efficacy inverse agonist at α 5-containing GABAA receptors), MRK-016 (0.0–2.0 mg/kg; a high efficacy inverse agonist at α5-containing GABAA receptors), or L-838,417 (0.0–3.0 mg/kg; an antagonist at α1-containing receptors and a partial agonist at α2, α3, α5-containing GABAA receptors) and either tested on the social interaction and social preference tests or the 5-choice serial reaction time task. Results FG7142 decreased social interactions and impaired attention. MRK-016 impaired attention but did not affect social behavior. Neither L-655,708 nor L-838,417 significantly affected either social behavior or attention. Discussion Systemic reduction in GABAA receptor signaling decreased sociability and attention, a result consistent with past research demonstrating cortical GABAA receptor blockade impairs social behavior and attention. Overall, the effects of the receptor subtype selective ligands were minimal; α5-containing GABAA receptors may contribute to the attentional deficit but do not contribute to the decrease in sociability. Further research is needed to determine the GABAA receptor subunits that contribute to social behavior and attention.
Does delayed urticaria induced by drug allergy exist

With the help of a routine clinical case about delayed urticaria induced by drug, we have analyzed the scientific societies reports published during the last 5 years on this topic. We highlighted the differences between the EAACI consensus and documents on drug allergy, commenting their positions and some of their definitions on delayed urticaria. However, the question of disagreement between definitions of delayed urticaria can generate confusion. It would be beneficial to have more and "official" clearness about this topic because of its important clinical application to our patients.
Moral Victories in the Battle for Congress: Cultural Conservatism and the House GOP: Cohen, Marty. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019. 264 pages. $69.95 (hardcover).

The emergence of the religious right during the last two decades of the twentieth century is a precipitating cause of the deep polarization characterizing politics in the United States today. This ...
High-Bandgap Solar Cells for Underwater Photovoltaic Applications

Autonomous systems are increasingly used to provide situational awareness and long-term environment monitoring. Photovoltaics (PV) are favored as a long-endurance power source for many of these applications. To date, the use of PV is limited to space and terrestrial (dry-land) installations. The need for a persistent power source also exists for underwater (UW) systems, which currently rely on surface PV arrays or batteries. In this paper, we demonstrate that high-bandgap-InGaP solar cells can provide useful power UW.
Leveraging GIS and spatial analysis for informed decision-making in COVID-19 pandemic.

â¢Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques are widely used across scientific disciplines, including public health since the mid-1960s.â¢GIS has been playing a critical role in understanding the spatial clustering and transmission trend of the ongoing COVID-19.â¢The Johns Hopkins University created a near-real-time GIS-based COVID-19 case tracking and documentation mechanism.â¢Applications of GIS in COVID-19 related studies were focused on mapping the cases on different administrative units.â¢GIS could be used to predict not only the confirmed case numbers but also specific locations where the outbreak would happen with a higher statistical precision.
"There's No Place Like Home for The Holidays:" Travel and SARS-CoV-2 Test Positivity Following Thanksgiving Weekend

Abstract In the US, public health officials discouraged travel and social gatherings for Thanksgiving. Data suggests that many individuals did travel over the holidays, albeit in smaller numbers than previous years. Using an online panel survey of individuals across ten US states, we found that many individuals reported spending Thanksgiving outside of their home (25.9%) or at home with at least one non-household member (27.3%). Among those who were tested, those who had Thanksgiving outside their home were significantly more likely to self-report a positive PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the prior two weeks compared to those who had Thanksgiving at home with non-household members or with household members only (41.7% vs. 21.4% and 13.8%, respectively; p
Condensing and constraining WNT by TGF-β.

TGF-β can antagonise or cooperate with WNT signalling, yet it is still unclear what mechanisms integrate the outcomes of these conserved pathways. A new study now reports that the formation of biomolecular condensates, dependent on the DACT1 protein, provides the spatial segregation needed for TGF-β to constrain WNT signalling.
Identifying and Utilizing Mentors

The concept of mentorship has existed for a long time and has proved to be especially beneficial in medicine. Identifying and working with a mentor or mentor team can be a multifaceted approach and can occur through both formal and informal channels as well as both inside and outside one’s field. There are several approaches to mentorship with one holistic model in the context of medical practice encompassing educational, professional, and personal aspects. Special considerations such as diversity in background and gender are important in elevating the status of all trainees, while pitfalls and challenges to mentorship should be made aware as can occur in any relationship. As the field of radiation oncology is small and evidence-based, mentorship helps maintain positive associations in the field, and more effort is needed to formalize sponsorship programs to help advance the careers of trainees and early-career faculty. Here, we offer practical ways to maximize the mentorship experience.
Accessory thyroid in the lateral floor of the mouth: Report of a case, with embryologic considerations

Abstract The postmortem finding of an accessory thyroid in the lateral floor of the mouth of an 86-year-old woman is described. Embryology of the median and lateral thyroid anlage and lesions resulting from faulty embryogenesis of median and lateral thyroid analgen are discussed. The described accessory thyroid in the lateral floor of the mouth is explained by defective embryogenesis of one lateral thyroid anlage.
Formation of single and double-headed streamers in sprite-halo events

[1] Sprite streamers initiate from electron inhomogeneities in the lower ionosphere and undergo significant acceleration and expansion growth before their optical emissions become observable. It is shown that electron inhomogeneities located at high altitudes in the region of sprite halo, which may be sub-visual, only transform into single-headed downward streamers, and corresponding upward streamers quickly merge into the sprite halo due to fast relaxation of lightning-induced electric field. In contrast, the inhomogeneities located at and below the lower edge of the sprite halo, where a high field region persists significantly longer, can transform into double-headed streamers. The upward negative streamer heads start from the existing bright structures in the channel of previous downward streamers as observed by Cummer et al. (2006), McHarg et al. (2007), and Stenbaek-Nielsen and McHarg (2008) because at low altitudes, electron density enhancements associated with these channels are much stronger than in preexisting inhomogeneities in the ambient ionosphere.
Anomalous leakage current characteristics of Pt/(Ba0.75,Sr0.25)Ti1+yO3+z/Pt thin films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The leakage and dielectric properties of a thickness series (90–480 nm) of {100} fiber-textured metalorganic chemical vapor deposited (Ba0.75Sr0.25)Ti1+yO3+z (BST) thin films on Pt/SiO2/Si were investigated. The permittivity demonstrated a suppressed temperature and electric field response that transitioned to a more bulk-like response with increasing thickness, consistent with earlier observations. At low fields the leakage currents showed a weak-field dependence and a monotonic increase with increasing temperature. In contrast, a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTCR) was observed in the leakage current behavior at high-field. The PTCR behavior was more pronounced for thicker BST films. The observed effect is contrasted with PTCR behavior in bulk BaTiO3 ceramics.
Soil Quality: The Role of Microorganisms

Soil quality is important because of the unique role soil plays in the human environment. From foundations for buildings to contamination buffers and a water regulator to a medium for the production of food and fiber; soils are important in everyday life. Soil quality of the capacity of the soil to function is dependent on its intended use, its inherent properties, and its current condition. Society should equate soil quality with air and water quality for sustainability. Thus, the concern is not only the state or conditions of soil quality but also its direction and rate of change as measured by sensitive soil indicators with quantifiable limits and interpretations. Keywords: soil quality; soil organic matter; microorganisms; microbial processes; microbial biomass; aggrading systems; degrading systems; enzymes
Direct labeling of 19F-perfluorocarbon onto multilayered cell sheet for MRI-based non-invasive cell tracking

Autologous stem cell transplantation for eye diseases is immunologically preferable to avoid allograft rejection. However, the fate of the grafted cells has never been studied. Here, we propose to use 19F-perfluorocarbon magnetic resonance imaging tracer agent, to label cell sheet in vitro. This labeling enables non-invasive visualization of possible migration of grafted cells. Oral mucosal epithelial cells were isolated from rabbit oral mucosal epithelium and were cultivated in a thermo-responsive surface to engineer a multilayer cell sheet. Different concentrations of 19F-perfluorocarbon were added to the cell sheet culture media, one or two times. Cells were analyzed in a 7 T nuclear magnetic resonance to determine the labeling efficiency. We found that 10 mg/mL and two incubations with 19F-perfluorocarbon were the optimal condition for labeling. H&E and immunocytochemistry showed that labeling did not affect the expression of cell sheets specific markers (CK4, CK13, connexin43, E-cadherin). Furthermore, no significant effects were observed on the number of cells and the cell viability, making 19F-perfluorocarbon suitable for cell tracking, with no side effects.
Error localization during software maintenance: generating hierarchical system descriptions from the source code alone

An empirical study is presented that investigates hierarchical software system descriptions that are based on measures of cohesion and coupling. The study evaluates the effectiveness of the hierarchical descriptions in identifying error-prone system structure. The measurement of cohesion and coupling is based on intrasystem interaction in terms of software data bindings. The measurement of error-proneness is based on software error data collected from high-level system design through system test; some error data from system operation are also included. The data bindings software analysis and supporting tools are described, followed by the data analysis, interpretations of the results, and some conclusions. >
A constant temperature hot-wire anemometer

A compact, inexpensive, constant temperature hot-wire anemometer circuit using solid state operational amplifiers is described. A theoretical expression for frequency response and an experimental check are given. Theoretical and experimental response data for an existing unit are shown.
Factors noted to affect breast cancer treatment decisions of women aged 80 and older.

Breast cancer is common in women aged 80 and older and is increasing because of longer life expectancies and greater use of mammography screening. Although mortality from breast cancer has declined in women younger than 70, it has increased in women aged 80 and older, and this may be partly due to less aggressive treatment of these women.[1–3] Women aged 80 and older are less likely to receive axillary lymph node dissection, radiation after breast conserving surgery, chemotherapy, or steroid receptor assessment than younger women.[2–10] Limited clinical trial data on the efficacy of many breast cancer treatments for women aged 80 and older may explain some of the variation in treatment of these women,[11] but few studies have examined breast cancer treatment decision-making in women aged 80 and older.[12] Better understanding breast cancer treatment decisions of older women is important because less-aggressive treatment has been associated with greater breast cancer mortality.[2] Although few studies have examined the breast cancer treatment decisions of women aged 80 and older, studies that have examined breast cancer decision-making in younger postmenopausal women have found that patient age,[7, 9, 13, 14] treatment preferences, [13,14] culture and faith [15,16], health, [9,13,14, 17,18], socioecodemographic characteristics, [13, 18–20], tumor characteristics [7,17,21], family influence [13,14,17], and physician communication [13,14,17,18] affect treatment decisions. This study aimed to identify factors that affect that treatment decisions of women aged 80 and older to better understand their decision-making and ideally to lead to better counseling regarding breast cancer care for older women. When data on efficacy and outcomes are limited, as is the case for most breast cancer treatments in women aged 80 and older, that is when the most complicated decision-making occurs and when patients and families need the most assistance from clinicians.[21]
The photochemical heating of the cometary atmosphere

A self-consistent solution of the thermodynamic structure of an H2O-dominated multispecies cometary atmosphere at 1 AU is obtained by solving the simultaneous set of differential equations representing conservation of number density, momentum, energy, and the flux of solar UV radiation in the three streams responsible for the major photolytic processes. The relative efficiency of the expansion and infrared cooling by H2O over the photolytic heating by the UV radiation in the inner coma brings about a rapid decrease in the temperature there, reaching a minimum of only about 5.4 K at a nuclear distance of approximately 54 km. Thereafter, the temperature is found to increase to about 810 K at a nuclear distance of 25,000 km, owing to higher efficiency of the photolytic heating over the cooling process. The expansion in the inner coma is seen to be highly supersonic, attaining a maximum Mach number of about 15 at the distance of temperature minimum. After that, the Mach number steadily decreases, reaching a value of about 2.3 at a nuclear distance of 25,000 km.
Evaluating the effects of loading parameters on single-crystal slip in tantalum using molecular mechanics

This study is aimed at developing a physics-based crystal plasticity finite element model for body-centred cubic (BCC) metals, through the introduction of atomic-level deformation information from molecular dynamics (MD) investigations of dislocation motion at the onset of plastic flow. In this study, three critical variables governing crystal plasticity mediated by dislocation motion are considered. MD simulations are first performed across a range of finite temperatures up to 600K to quantify the temperature dependence of critical stress required for slip initiation. An important feature of slip in BCC metals is that it is not solely dependent on the Schmid law measure of resolved shear stress, commonly employed in crystal plasticity models. The configuration of a screw dislocation and its subsequent motion is studied under different load orientations to quantify these non-Schmid effects. Finally, the influence of strain rates on thermal activation is studied by inducing higher stresses during activatio...
The solution of ill‐conditioned linear systems arising from Fredholm equations of the first kind by steepest descents and conjugate gradients

It is shown that the methods of steepest descents and conjugate gradients give smooth solutions of the ill-conditioned systems of linear equations obtained by the discretization of Fredholm equations of the first kind without the use of any regularization techniques. A modification of the usual method of steepest descents is described which is equivalent to applying two cycles of the usual method with very little additional work. A number of examples are worked including one with a degenerate kernel in which the algebraic system is singular.
Participatory sensing for fighting food deserts

We present a participatory sensing system, which collects food availability information in communities via individual food consumption information, for fighting food deserts. Users leverage the NutriSmart Android app developed to record food purchases and consumption choices. This information can then be aggregated and mapped across users. The results of the system can be used to lobby for change in schools and communities, where lack of accessibility to fresh food choices limits healthy choices that individuals make. The system, the implementation, and the results of a 3-week case study in San Jose are presented.
Baryon isovector electric properties and the large Nc and chiral limits

Abstract A model independent calculation is given for the nucleon isovector electric charge radius which is valid in the limit Nc → ∞, mπ → 0, Ncmπ fixed. This expression reduces to that of the Skyrme model in the limit Ncmπ → ∞.
Tongue Twister: An Integrated Program for Analyzing Lickometer Data

Abstract The analysis of lickometer data is often rendered prohibitively tedious by the large volume of data generated by the typical experiment. TongueTwister is an integrated program for the rapid and automatic analysis, presentation, and summary of long- and medium-access data collected by lickometers or of brief-access data collected by multi-bottle lickometers such as the DiLog Instruments MS80. The program was written in C++ for Macintosh® computers, and analyzes data collected by MS-DOS PCs. It takes advantage of the Macintosh® user interface to provide quick and convenient output from all the files of a single experimental session, and to export the data to third-party statistical software or other documents. It can batch-process data files by automatically opening and analyzing all the files in a directory; thus, the user can employ directories as a simple database for organizing experimental groups. When a lickometer data file is opened, a textual summary, a raster plot of the lick pattern, the cumulative licks, the lick rate, a histogram of inter-lick intervals, and a breakdown of the session by fractions are automatically calculated and displayed. When an MS80 brief-access file is opened, the lick pattern for each tube presentation and a textual summary of the mean values derived for each tube are automatically displayed. If a directory of files is opened, the mean values derived across all the individual files are calculated and graphed. Analysis parameters can be tailored to the investigator's liking. Tables or graphs can be saved to disk, or copied and pasted into other Macintosh® programs for additional analysis. The program may also be used for general-purpose analysis of periodic event records.
Chlorpromazine protects brain tissue in hypoxia by delaying spreading depression-mediated calcium influx

Abstract We have investigated the possible protective effect of chlorpromazine in hypoxia of brain tissue, using rat hippocampal slices maintained at 35–36°C. The recovery of synaptic transmission along the Schaffer collaterals to the CA1 pathway after 9 min hypoxia was compared in chlorpromazine-treated and in control slices. Recovery upon reoxygenation was the exception in control slices, while it was observed in approximately 50 anf 100% of slices treated with 7 and 70 μM chlorpromazine, respectively. Chlorpromazine also significantly the occurence of the hypoxia-induced spreading depression (SD). Recovery took place when SD occured late during hypoxia, not when it occurred early. In those slices in which 7 μM chlorpromazine afforded no protection, SD occurred as early as it did in control slices. In further experiments, we deliberately induced SD during hypoxia in 70 μM-treated slices by topically applying a drop of high-K+ artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). Recovery was not observed when SD was induced early, but it was observed when it was induced near the end of the hypoxic period. Slices exposed to the same period of hypoxia in Ca2+-free ACSF recovered synaptic transmission (even without chlorpromazine treatment) despite early induction of SD. We conclude that: (1) chlorpromazine protects brain tissue from hypoxia-induced irreversible loss of synaptic transmission; (2) it does so by delaying the occurence of SD, and hence shortening the time spent in the SD-induced depolarized state; and (3) the harm done by SD in hypoxia is related to the influx of Ca2+ into neurons.
Pregnancy outcomes after fallopian tube recanalization (FTR): oil-based vs. water-soluble contrast agents

RESULTS: With respect to differences between groups, only the body mass index proved to be a significant predictor (oil, 28.4; water, 24.7; P .008). Mean age, duration of infertility, type of infertility, and initial diagnosis were comparable. There was a weak trend toward a higher pregnancy rate in the oil-based contrast material group, but it was not significant (P .64). The average time to pregnancy was 4.4 months with use of oil-based contrast material, compared to 7.7 months with use of only water-soluble contrast material (P .03).