cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of ethanol blending on particulate formation from premixed combustion in spark-ignition engines

Abstract Particulate formation due to combustion of a wide range of ethanol-gasoline blends were investigated in an internal combustion engine. The engine used for this study is a single-cylinder research engine, the architecture of which is representative of a modern spark ignited direct injected (SIDI) engine. Instead of direct injection, the engine was fueled using a premixed prevaporized (PMPV) mode, which supplied the fuel to the engine in a well-mixed, gas-phase air-fuel mixture in order to isolate physical effects of the fuel. This created a completely homogenous air-fuel mixture with no pockets of significantly differing equivalence ratio, liquid fuel droplets, or wetted surfaces, ensuring that particulate formation was due to homogenous, gas-phase combustion. The engine was operated at a fixed load and phasing so that the effects of varying equivalence ratio and ethanol content could be examined. The results in this work show that the addition of ethanol results in a consistent decrease in engine-out particulate proportional to ethanol content. Moreover, the critical equivalence ratio, the equivalence ratio at which significant sooting begins, increases in a linear fashion with ethanol addition. It was also shown that the shape of the particulate size distribution (PSD) is affected by ethanol content, with increased ethanol leading to more nucleation-mode dominated distributions.
Digital pathology in nephrology clinical trials, research, and pathology practice

Purpose of review In this review, we will discuss (i) how the recent advancements in digital technology and computational engineering are currently applied to nephropathology in the setting of clinical research, trials, and practice; (ii) the benefits of the new digital environment; (iii) how recognizing its challenges provides opportunities for transformation; and (iv) nephropathology in the upcoming era of kidney precision and predictive medicine. Recent findings Recent studies highlighted how new standardized protocols facilitate the harmonization of digital pathology database infrastructure and morphologic, morphometric, and computer-aided quantitative analyses. Digital pathology enables robust protocols for clinical trials and research, with the potential to identify previously underused or unrecognized clinically useful parameters. The integration of digital pathology with molecular signatures is leading the way to establishing clinically relevant morpho-omic taxonomies of renal diseases. Summary The introduction of digital pathology in clinical research and trials, and the progressive implementation of the modern software ecosystem, opens opportunities for the development of new predictive diagnostic paradigms and computer-aided algorithms, transforming the practice of renal disease into a modern computational science.
Replication and Pathogenesis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was identified in the early 1980s. It belongs to a group of retroviruses called lentiviruses (genus Lentivirus). Lentiviruses cause life-long chronic infections of a variety of animals. They are very host specific, often infect cells of the immune system and have the ability to productively infect nondividing cells. HIVs are very closely related to the simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) that infect a number of species of nonhuman primate. The two types of HIV, HIV-1, and HIV-2 are most closely related to SIV chimpanzee and SIV sooty mangabey, respectively. HIV-1 is the more widely distributed. In 2012 the World Health Organization estimated over 35 million HIV-1 infections worldwide. This chapter discusses HIV cell and host tropism, functions of structural, regulatory, and auxiliary proteins and provides a general overview of pathogenesis, vaccine development, and treatments.
Legal Issues in Clinical Research

Abstract Legal issues—that is, the constraints, privileges, and protections afforded by law—are an intimate component of conducting clinical research. They are not the same as ethical issues, though sometimes the two areas overlap and mutually connect. This chapter summarizes the legal framework and standards that govern clinical research in the United States. It focuses on how research participants' individual welfare and interests are protected through the law. This includes the twin pillars of independent review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and informed consent from all participants before enrollment. The chapter discusses what consent processes and documents must include and who can consent, as a matter of law. The chapter also describes legal requirements for individual privacy protections and various other initiatives to promote participants' interests, such as study registration and results reporting in ClinicalTrials.gov , conflicts of interest requirements and data sharing. Specific practice tips for investigators and research team members are included, though the breadth of material covered necessarily means that the chapter is an overview and not entirely comprehensive. Other important legal domains—that is, keeping the general public safe through marketplace controls on new medical products and new uses of existing products, including investigational products, and promoting research, innovation and cures by intellectual property protections—are detailed in other parts of this book.
Diversity, Equity, and Classroom Processes

Providing education for all citizens and maintaining high educational standards are basic goals of the American educational system. The tension between providing equity of opportunity and excellence in service has long been recognized. In its current version, this tension between excellence and equity has become highlighted as schools wrestle with the issue of raising standards on the one hand while maintaining minimum competencies on the other.
Trade and the Separation of Powers

There are two paradigms through which to view trade law and policy within the American constitutional system. One paradigm sees trade law and policy as quintessentially about domestic economic policy. Institutionally, under the domestic economics paradigm, trade law falls within the province of Congress, which has legion Article I authorities over commercial matters. The second paradigm sees trade law as fundamentally about America’s relationship with foreign countries. Institutionally, under the foreign affairs paradigm, trade law is the province of the President, who speaks for the United States in foreign affairs. While both paradigms have operated throughout American history, the domestic economics paradigm dominated in the nineteenth century, and the foreign affairs paradigm from the mid-twentieth century. Since the end of the Cold War, however, trade law and policy has become increasingly divisive and contentious. Trade law and policy entered a new era of liberalization, characterized by international organizations (like the WTO) and a shift to mini-lateral free trade agreements. By 2016, backlash was in full force, with candidates Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton all coming out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Since taking office, President Trump has instituted high tariffs on solar panels, threatened to withdraw from NAFTA, and sparked concern about a trade war with China. This Article makes three contributions. First, we argue that the current discontent over trade is not just a matter of the distribution of economic gains and losses but a matter of the distribution of constitutional powers. We provide a thorough descriptive account of the two paradigms for trade within our constitutional system and show that trade has migrated from a domestic to a foreign affairs matter – and ultimately that it has becoming unhooked even from specific foreign affairs objectives. As trade drifted further away from the balance struck by our separation of powers and became increasingly rooted in the Presidency, agreements liberalizing trade rules became more viable – but at the cost of the political sustainability that comes with greater congressional involvement. Second, we make a normative case for rebalancing trade within the constitutional structure. We argue that trade shares few similarities with other foreign affairs and national security areas in which the President is seen to have a functional advantage, and perhaps surprisingly given the conventional wisdom, that the parochial interests of Congress present strong benefits to trade policymaking that are widely undervalued. Finally, we apply this rebalanced framework for trade law and policy to a variety of contemporary debates, including the role of fast track authority in negotiating and approving trade agreements, the President’s power to declare trade wars, the scope of the President’s authority to withdraw from trade agreements, the use of unorthodox international agreements in the commercial context, and the increasing conflict between trade agreements and state and local authority, which we term “trade federalism.”
Welcome: Challenges Encountered by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the campus of the University of California, Davis. This Conference is one of a series in which we are exploring the current state of the art in genetic engineering or biotechnology, particularly as it relates to agriculture. In 1982, we considered genetic engineering in plants; last year, we focused our attention on the molecular basis of plant disease; and now we turn to the advances in genetic engineering in animals.
Stability and Heavy Traffic Limits for Queueing Networks

We discuss here two topics of recent interest in queueing theory. The first is the question of when strictly subcritical queueing networks are stable. Namely, given a network whose stations all serve customers more quickly than the long-term rate at which customers visit the system, when is the underlying Markov process positive recurrent? The other topic is the existence of heavy traffic limits for queueing networks. That is, when does a sequence of networks, under diffusive scaling, converge to a reflecting Brownian motion?
Production of a recombinant protein from Alternaria containing the reported N-terminal of the Alt a1 allergen.

Allergen content of extract derived from Alternaria is somewhat variable. Allergenic molecules from Alternaria that appear as differing molecular size bands on IgE probed immunoblots may have a great deal of sequence homology and differ only in the length of the amino acid chain. One method to study this problem is to produce recombinant proteins from Alternaria. To explore these possibilities, the following experiments were performed.
Characterization of Electron Multipliers by Charge Distributions

Electron multipliers are used in the pulse counting mode in many SIMS instruments. To use the electron multiplier in this way for precise elemental and isotopic measurements, two parameters must be known: (a) the detection efficiency for ions impacting the conversion dynode and (b) the dead time of the whole pulse counting system. RUDAT and MORRISON [1,2] have reported measurements of detector yield factors for a Cu-Be ion to electron converter in a Daly-type detector installed in a CAMECA IMS-300. For electron multipliers (EM), the aforementioned parameters depend on EM type, ion energy, biasing voltage and the detected element. Furthermore, the EM gain changes with the age of the multiplier. We have found that the pulse charge distribution of the EM output is correlated with the detection efficiency. Its measurement provides a quick and reliable means to monitor the EM performance. We report measurements of the pulse charge distributions, detection efficiencies, and dead times, for various positive and negative ions.
Semaphorin 7A promotes macrophage-mediated lymphatic remodeling during postpartum mammary gland involution and in breast cancer

Postpartum mammary gland involution is a tissue remodeling event that occurs in all mammals in the absence of nursing or after weaning to return the gland to the pre-pregnant state. The tissue microenvironment created by involution has proven to be tumor promotional. Here we report that the GPI-linked protein semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) is expressed on mammary epithelial cells during involution and use preclinical models to demonstrate that tumors induced during involution express high levels of SEMA7A. Overexpression of SEMA7A promoted the presence of myeloid-derived podoplanin (PDPN)-expressing cells in the tumor microenvironment and during involution. SEMA7A drove the expression of PDPN in macrophages, which led to integrin- and PDPN-dependent motility and adherence to lymphatic endothelial cells to promote lymphangiogenesis. In support of this mechanism, mammary tissue from SEMA7A-knockout mice exhibited decreased myeloid-derived PDPN-expressing cells, PDPN-expressing endothelial cells, and lymphatic vessel density. Furthermore, coexpression of SEMA7A, PDPN , and macrophage marker CD68 predicted for decreased distant metastasis-free survival in a cohort of over 600 cases of breast cancer as well as in ovarian, lung, and gastric cancers. Together, our results indicate that SEMA7A may orchestrate macrophage-mediated lymphatic vessel remodeling, which in turn drives metastasis in breast cancer. Signficance: SEMA7A, which is expressed on mammary cells during glandular involution, alters macrophage biology and lymphangiogenesis to drive breast cancer metastasis. Cancer Res; 78(22); 6473–85. ©2018 AACR .
“The Idea of Categorizing Makes Me Feel Uncomfortable”: University Student Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Labeling in the Healthcare Setting

As healthcare settings are increasingly adding sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) to routinely collected patient demographic information, it is important to understand how patients conceptualize and label these identities. This study explored university students' perspectives on and experiences with choosing SO/GI labels in the healthcare setting. We employed a mixed-method approach, collecting survey data on self-identified SO/GI labels across various contexts and conducting focus groups centered around experiences of SO/GI data collection and labeling in healthcare. Thirty-four graduate and undergraduate university students completed the survey and participated in six one-time focus groups. While many participants indicated that their self-identified SO/GI labels were consistent across contexts/relationships, 47% indicated that they used different labels to describe their SO or GI depending on the context. The focus group discussions revealed ways in which participants struggled to label their SO/GI on forms: They reported that (1) their authentic SO/GI labels were not among the commonly listed labels or (2) they felt that labeling their SO/GI identities was problematic. Participants reported that choosing a label that did not fit their lived experience was not only inaccurate, but could also feel painful and alienating. These findings hold implications for the collection and interpretation of patient SO/GI information, both for epidemiological purposes and for patient-centered care.
Magnetic resonance studies of some antiferromagnetic Gd-monopnictides and Gd-monochalcogenides

We report the results of electron paramagnetic resonance studies of GdX (X=As, Sb, Bi, S, Se). The temperature dependence of the linewidth ΔH and effective g-factorg eff are discussed. Values for the Neel temperatureT N are inferred from coincident anomalies in ΔH andg eff. In the cases of X=S and Se, our estimates ofT N are significantly lower than theT N inferred from static susceptibility measurements. A possible source of the discrepancy is discussed.
Data fusion methods for improving resolution from a gamma-ray scintillator network

Abstract Enhancements in gamma-ray spectral resolution have been realized through hardware development, including low-defect scintillation materials, solid-state detector technology, and low-noise read-out electronics. Enhanced resolution has also been provided by deconvoluting hardware response through the application of spectral unfolding techniques. However, fusing data from multiple independent measurements, both before and after spectral unfolding, to obtain more information than exists from a single measurement represents a largely unexplored path. This work provides a statistical foundation from which data acquired from an arbitrary number of independent gamma-ray spectra can be fused to yield higher resolution than the constituent measurements yield in isolation. Specifically, three data fusion techniques are considered: (i) pulse-height spectrum fusion, (ii) unfolded fluence linear opinion pool, and (iii) unfolded fluence logarithmic opinion pool. We explore the qualitative characteristics of these methods. We then apply them to spectra of thallium-doped sodium iodide [NaI(Tl)] and bismuth germanate (BGO), where all spectra are provided by MCNP simulations. Our results demonstrate improved resolution, thus establishing the methods as an inexpensive alternative to hardware upgrades. Moreover, our results demonstrate that these results have the potential to expand the capability of cutting-edge technology to provide currently unachievable resolution.
Agricultural Technology for Increasing Competitiveness of Small Holders

Agricultural technology plays a vital role in building viable and sustainable food systems. The green revolution (GR) is a landmark example of how scale-neutral technology transformed agricultural production. However, one of the limitations of GR technologies was that it was concentrated to a few crops and to high potential regions where irrigation was readily available. Newer approaches to technological interventions need to help increase yields while limiting environmental externalities. In this chapter, we identify that biotechnology will be critical in productivity increase, improving resilience to climate change and reducing environmental impact. For this, there is a need for India to have more forward-looking biotechnology policy to bolster innovation towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Specific C−C Bond Construction by Remote C−H Activation: Synthesis of (−)-trans-Cembranolide

The first total synthesis of (−)-trans-cembranolide (1), isolated from Sinularia mayi Luttschw., is described. The key step in the synthesis is the diastereoselective Rh-mediated cyclization of the enantiomerically pure diazo ester 4 to the tetrahydrofuran 3a.
Effect of Water Regime and Weed Control Treatments on Weeds, Growth and Yields in Hybrid Rice

Two field experiments were conducted at Rice Research and TrainingCenter, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt during 2015 and 2016 seasons to detect the effect of water regime and weed control treatments on weeds, growth and yields of hybrid rice (Sk2034H). Water regime (4-days on and 6-days off, saturation and continuous flooding) were allocated in main plots while weed control treatments were Thiobencarb 50% EC at three rates; 1.8 , 2.4 and 3.6 kg ai ha-1 in addition to weedy check were distributed in sub-plots. Weed species and hybrid rice yields were greatly influenced by water regime and weed control treatments. Echinochloa crus-galli and total weeds dry weights were significantly reduced under flooded or saturated plots than under shortage of water (4-days on + 6-days off). In different response, Cyperus difformis considerably reduced under the water shortage than saturated or flooded plots. The highest values of panicles per hill and grain yield of hybrid rice were recorded under flooding conditions followed by saturated soil. The application of Thiobencarb 50% EC at the high rate (3.6 kg ai h-1) resulted in the best weed control and highest grain yield followed by the application of 2.4 kg ai ha-1 from the same compound, while weedy check plots recorded the highest in weed presence and the lowest in rice yields. For the interaction, the lowest dry weights of Echinochloa crus-galli, Cyperus difformis and total weeds, also the largest weed control efficiency (%), number of panicles per hill and the highest rice grain yields were obtained under flooded plots treated with Thiobencarb at both rates of 2.4 and 3.6 kg ai ha-1. This trend was true under all treatments even the weedy check plots except for Cyperus difformis which increased significantly by soil saturation or flooding in un-treated plots.
What to tell the patient with optic neuritis about multiple sclerosis. III. The patient's right to know

Abstract If the ophthalmologist tells the patient with an initial isolated attack of optic neuritis that multiple sclerosis may develop, will he/she worry the patient needlessly or provide useful information that the patient is rightfully entitled to have? In this set of articles, the philosophies and individual circumstances that should influence the ophthalmologist in deciding what information to supply are discussed.
Ear and Temporal Bone

The ear comprises several structures that are the source of pathology including the skin, bone, cerumen glands, and specialized cochlear tissues. Its location and development make it a unique source of rare tumors, developmental abnormalities, and hereditary syndromes. This chapter will cover the limited but rare pathologic conditions and tumors of the external, middle, and inner ear.
Abstract WP157: Sympathetic and Cerebrovascular Responses to Blood Flow Restriction Resistance Exercise: A Potential Parallel to Remote Ischemic Preconditioning?

Introduction: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is characterized by the cyclic application of limb blood flow restriction and reperfusion, and has been shown to protect the brain during a subs...
Psychosocial and Clinical Risk Factors Associated with Substance Use in Observational Cohort of Patients with Sickle Cell Disease.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience high rates of chronic pain, and have a high burden of mental health comorbidities shown to negatively influence health. There is limited research ...
Abstract 6448: Oral cancer pain mediators released in exosomes are oncogenes with potential to shape the microenvironment and induce neuronal sensitivity

Oral cancer patients suffer severe chronic and mechanically-induced pain at the site of the cancer. Patients with metastatic (N+) cancers report greater pain. Cancer pain is attributed to cancer-derived mediators that sensitize neurons and is associated with increased neuronal density. To identify cancer derived mediators of pain and metastasis, we queried an RNA-seq dataset of 19 cancers and 5 normal tissues for genes overexpressed in N+ cancers from patients who reported high pain on the UCSF Oral Cancer Pain Questionnaire (UCSFOCPQ). The 40 candidate pain mediator genes are enriched for functions in extracellular matrix organization and angiogenesis, and are reported to have oncogenic and neuronal functions. Differentially expressed genes encoding neurotrophic and axon guidance molecules were also identified. The pain and metastasis genes encode secreted or membrane proteins. Most of the pain and metastasis genes have been reported in exosomes. A role for exosomes in induction of cancer pain was demonstrated using a mouse paw withdrawal assay. Intraplantar injection of HSC-3 oral tongue cancer cell line conditioned media induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. By contrast, when conditioned medium depleted of exosomes and extracellular vesicles (EVs) by size exclusion chromatography was injected into the paw, nociceptive behavioral responses to mechanical or thermal stimuli were reduced or abolished, respectively. Nociceptive responses to these stimuli were restored by reconstitution of the EV depleted media with the EV fraction. In conclusion, functional analysis of genes overexpressed in painful N+ cancers highlighted the composition of the N+ oral cancer microenvironment for promotion of angiogenesis and axonogenesis. Preclinical studies implicated cancer-derived exosomes in induction of pain. The autocrine and paracrine actions of identified pain and metastasis genes, as well as communication via exosomes, are potential therapeutic targets for stopping cancer and alleviating pain. Citation Format: Aditi Bhattacharya, Zinaida Dubeykoskaya, Huu Tu Nguyen, Igor Dolgalev, Ratna Veeramachaneni, Brian L. Schmidt, Donna G. Albertson. Oral cancer pain mediators released in exosomes are oncogenes with potential to shape the microenvironment and induce neuronal sensitivity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6448.
Implementation of the TaperGuard™ endotracheal tube in an unselected surgical population to reduce postoperative pneumonia

Endotracheal tube (ETT) designs to decrease the risk of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) include supraglottic suctioning, and/or modifications of the cuff shape. The TaperGuard™ ETT has a tapered, polyvinylchloride cuff designed to reduce microaspiration around channels that form with a standard barrel-shaped cuff. We compared risk of postoperative pneumonia using the TaperGuard™ ETT and the standard ETT in surgical patients requiring general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. We used an interrupted time-series design to compare endotracheal intubation using the TaperGuard™ ETT (intervention cohort), and a historic cohort using the standard ETT (baseline cohort), among surgical patients requiring hospital admission. We compared the incidence of postoperative pneumonia in the intervention and baseline cohorts. Data were collected from the electronic health record and linked to patient-level data from National Surgical Quality Improvement Project. Additionally, we performed secondary analyses in a subgroup of patients at high risk of postoperative pneumonia. 15,388 subjects were included; 6351 in the intervention cohort and 9037 in the baseline cohort. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative pneumonia between the intervention cohort (1.62%) and the baseline cohort (1.79%). The unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of postoperative pneumonia was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.70, 1.16; p = 0.423) and the OR adjusted for patient characteristics and potential confounders was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.69, 1.19; p = 0.469), comparing the intervention and baseline cohorts. There was no a priori selected subgroup of patients for whom the use of the TaperGuard™ ETT was associated with decreased odds of postoperative pneumonia relative to the standard ETT. Hospital mortality was higher in the intervention cohort (1.5%) compared with the baseline cohort (1.0%; OR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.95; p = 0.010). The broad implementation of the use of the TaperGuard™ ETT for intubation of surgical patients was not associated with a reduction in the risk of postoperative pneumonia. In the setting of a low underlying postoperative pneumonia risk and the use of recommended preventative VAP bundles, further risk reduction may not be achievable by simply modifying the ETT cuff design in unselected or high-risk populations undergoing inpatient surgery. ClinicalTrials.gov, ID NCT02450929 .
Supply Side Stimulus: The Bailing Out of the Finance Industry, and It’s Ensuing Self-Dealing Slowing Down Recovery

Instead of government bailout money being used to rescue those “underwater” with their mortgages and otherwise buoy up consumer demand, much was invested by the finance industry in itself, while much of the cost of the bailout ultimately fell upon the general public, further depressing demand. This resulted in the bankruptcy of many small businesses, further mortgage foreclosures, and further dampening of demand, accompanied by reduction in property taxes and so on, the reduction in spending by, and in some cases bankruptcy of, local government, further unemployment, and so on. While tellingly post 2009 the financial bubble, boosted by the supply of bailout money to the finance industry, and the return of inadequately collateralized financial instruments, resulted in an enormous stock market boom.
Associations Between Hospice Care and Scary Family Caregiver Experiences

Abstract Context Hospice deaths in the U.S. are increasing. Dying hospice patients may have rapidly emerging needs the hospice team cannot immediately meet, exposing family caregivers to fright-inducing (i.e., scary) situations. Objectives To examine relationships between hospice care and family caregiver exposures and psychological responses to witnessing common and distressing patient symptoms near the end of life. Methods Secondary analysis of prospective cohort study of 169 patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers was analyzed. Multivariable regression analyses modeled associations between hospice use and caregiver exposures and psychological responses (fear and helplessness) to witnessing distressing symptoms common near death, adjusting for potential confounding influences (e.g., home death, patient characteristics, and suffering). Caregiver self-reported exposures and responses to observing patient symptoms during the last month of life were assessed using the validated Stressful Caregiving Response to Experiences of Dying (SCARED) scale. Results Hospice care was significantly positively associated with more exposures and negative psychological responses to distressing patient symptoms, adjusting for home death, patient characteristics, and physical and mental suffering. On average, hospice patients' caregivers scored 1.6 points higher on the SCARED exposure scale and 6.2 points higher on the SCARED psychological response scale than caregivers of patients without hospice (exposure: 10.53 vs. 8.96; psychological responses: 29.85 vs. 23.67). Patient pain/discomfort, delirium, and difficulty swallowing/choking were reported by three-fourths of caregivers and associated with the most fear and helplessness among caregivers. Conclusion Hospice care is associated with more exposures to and caregiver fear and helplessness in response to scary patient experiences. Research is needed to understand how better to support family caregivers of hospice patients to enable them to cope with common distressing symptoms of dying cancer patients. Hospice clinicians providing additional education and training about these symptoms might enable caregivers to better care for dying loved ones and reduce the stresses of end-of-life caregiving.
If We’re Not Doing It, Then Who? A Qualitative Study of Black Special Educators’ Persistence

Ample research exists regarding various reasons special education teachers leave the profession, yet little attention is given to factors that promote professional persistence. The current study wa...
ACCURACy: Adaptive Calibration of CUbesat RAdiometer Constellations

Recent advances in sensing technology have enabled the deployment of CubeSats equipped with radiometers for scientific missions. While constellations of CubeSats provide benefits to remote sensing science missions, they also bring with them unique challenges in calibration due to considerable sensitivity to ambient conditions. To address this problem, a constellation-level calibration framework is being developed, called “Adaptive Calibration of CUbesat RAdiometer Constellations (ACCURACy)”. This framework is in early stages, currently covering the theoretical basis through an initial end-to-end prototype utilizing synthetic data. This framework will use instrument-level telemetry data collected pre-launch and in-orbit to separate constellation members into time-adaptive groups (or clusters) of radiometers in similar states. Within clusters, all radiometers share their absolute calibration measurements to a common calibration data pool. These calibration pools, containing measurements of different calibration targets at different times, facilitate frequent multi-point absolute calibration. This, in turn, serves to reduce and quantify calibration errors and uncertainties.
Visitors' Self-Reported Knowledge and Attitudes about an Animal-Free Exhibit on Animal Welfare.

Public events such as state fairs provide valuable opportunities to provide informal animal welfare education, possibly changing people’s decisions regarding animal welfare. This study evaluated wh...
COVID-19 in New York City as an Extreme Event: The Disruption and Resumption of the Global City

This paper discusses the need for public health infrastructure to address COVID-19 and future pandemics. It then links this need to the centrality of the global economy, and finally to the maintena...
Ventral tegmental area glutamate neurons mediate the nonassociative consequences of traumatic stress

SUMMARY Exposure to trauma is a risk factor for the development of a number of mood disorders, and may enhance vulnerability to future adverse life events. Recent data implicate ventral tegmental area (VTA) glutamate neuronal activity as functionally important for signaling aversive or threating stimuli. However, it is unknown whether VTA glutamate neurons regulate transsituational outcomes that result from stress and whether these neurons are sensitive to stressor controllability. This work established an operant mouse paradigm to examine the impact of stressor controllability on VTA glutamate neuron function and stressor outcome. Uncontrollable (inescapable) stress, but not physically identical controllable (escapable) stress, produced social avoidance in male mice. Cell-type-specific calcium recordings showed that both controllable and uncontrollable stressors increased VTA glutamate neuronal activity. Chemogenetic reduction of VTA glutamate neuron activity prevented the behavioral sequelae of uncontrollable stress. Our results provide causal evidence that mice can be used to model stressor controllability and that VTA glutamate neurons may contribute to transsituational stressor outcomes, such as social avoidance and exaggerated fear that are observed within trauma-related disorders.
Barriers to Attendance among Patients Scheduled for Appointments at an Academic Ophthalmology Practice

Purpose : No-show appointments may be associated with significant detriments to patient outcome, practice efficiency, and practice financial status. The purpose of this study is to investigate reasons patients failed to attend scheduled appointments at an outpatient ophthalmology clinic at an academic medical center. Methods : The study protocol was reviewed and deemed exempt from further review by the Penn State College of Medicine Institutional Review Board. A scheduling software was used to identify all adult patients who did not attend their scheduled ophthalmology clinic appointments at Penn State Eye Center from 11/9/20 to 12/16/20. Potential subjects were contacted by phone to conduct a brief phone interview. Subjects willing to participate were asked to specify the reason(s) they did not attend their appointment, and to suggest interventions that would help them attend. Descriptive statistical methods were used to describe the reasons for missed appointments and suggested interventions. Results : Of the 325 patients identified, 160 (49.2%) were reached by telephone and participated in the phone survey. The most common reason for non-attendance reported was forgetting the appointment (35.6%), followed by being unaware of appointment (20.6%), scheduling conflict (13.1%), and illness (11.9%). Eighteen patients (11.3%) reported transportation difficulty and two patients (1.3%) reported financial burden. Six patients (3.8%) reported concern for the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for non-attendance. Fifty-seven patients suggested potential interventions that would help them attend their visits, with the most common being the provision of a reminder (49.1%), followed by providing aid with transportation (15.8%) and sending multiple modalities of reminders (14.0%). Conclusions : In this study conducted at an outpatient ophthalmology clinic at an academic center, the most common reasons for non-attendance were patients forgetting about the appointment and being unaware of the appointment. This finding is supported by the interventions suggested by the patients, which consisted primarily of providing appointment reminders. Patients also noted difficulty with transportation and suggested assistance with transportation to the clinic. These findings may facilitate the development and implementation of specific interventions to decrease the patient no-show rate.
Financial Toxicity in Women with Breast Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy: Final Results of a Prospective Observational Study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Financial toxicity (FT), encompassing costs from both direct medical expenses and indirect sources of financial strain, is an increasingly recognized dilemma for cancer patients. We sought to quantify the burden of FT present in a prospective cohort of women with breast cancer (BC) receiving radiotherapy (RT), identify clinically relevant predictors of FT, and to correlate FT with health-related quality of life (QoL) using validated instruments. MATERIALS/METHODS After signing informed consent, consecutive patients with stage 0-III BC completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-G7 QoL score (FACT-G7), a tailored FT questionnaire, and the Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) score-a measure of FT validated in cancer patients. Lower scores on FACT-G7 and COST indicate worse QoL and FT, respectively. Questionnaires were completed within 1 month of RT end date. Group comparisons were performed with two-sample t-test and Chi-square tests for a priori selected continuous and categorical variables, respectively, including patient demographic, tumor and treatment related factors. Pearson correlation was used to associate COST with FACT-G7. Linear and multiple regression were used to evaluate explanatory variables as predictors of COST. RESULTS Between 12/2018 - 11/2021, 110 eligible patients enrolled on protocol and 108 were eligible for analysis. Mean COST score was 28.6 (95% CI 26.9-30.4) and mean FACT-G7 was 18.8 (95% CI 17.8-19.9). Patient reported sources of financial strain included lost wages due to missed time from work (n = 17, 15.7%), significant transportation costs (n = 16, 14.8%) and 27 patients (25%) reported being unable to work at all during radiation treatment. Marital status (higher COST associated with married status relative to other), significant cost of medications (higher COST for no significant medication costs relative to significant medication costs), employment type (lower COST associated with unemployed status, higher COST with retired status relative to working), and surgery type (higher COST for lumpectomy relative to mastectomy) were significantly associated with COST score by multivariable regression (all P values < .05). RT length group (short/intermediate (1-24 fractions) vs long (25+ fractions) duration) was not associated with COST (P = 0.46). COST and FACT-G7 were strongly correlated for the overall cohort (P < .0001). CONCLUSION In this prospective study of women with BC receiving RT, distinct patient demographic and treatment related factors including surgery type were significantly associated with FT. Financial toxicity was strongly correlated with health-related QoL in the study cohort. Increased characterization of the relationship between FT and worsened health-related QoL for women with BC receiving RT and defining clinical predictors of FT is of high clinical value and may help guide future studies investigating optimal targeted interventions for patients with BC at high risk for FT.
Abusive mouths in classical Athens

Introduction 1. The mouth and its uses in Homer, iambos, and tragedy 2. Open mouths and abusive talk in Aristophanes 3. Gluttonous speechifying in Euripides' Cyclops 4. Crude talk and fancy fare in Plato 5. Defamation and oral excess in Demosthenes and Aeschines 6. The intemperate mouth in Aristotle and Theophrastus Epilogue.
Auditor Credibility Impairment Spillovers: Evidence from Three Andersen Engagements

Does bad news about one auditor's conduct affect the credibility of all auditors? We examine auditee abnormal stock returns around twenty-five bad news events involving Arthur Andersen LLP's (Andersen) questionable audits of Waste Management, Sunbeam, and Enron. Of these twenty-five windows, twelve (including eight pre-Enron windows) exhibit significantly negative market-wide mean abnormal returns. Moreover, during these twelve windows, portfolios of low quality auditees are, on average, penalized significantly more than portfolios of high quality auditees. During windows related to SEC actions (probes, sanctions), Andersen, Other Big Five and non-Big Five auditees are strongly penalized. Disclosures about the details of accounting and auditing irregularities, on the other hand, more strongly affect Big Five auditees than non-Big Five auditees. Our study is the first to present systematic evidence that bad news about the conduct of one auditor can generate significant negative externalities (spillovers) to all auditors. Interestingly, all three events that show the strongest evidence of spillovers occur before Enron's financial troubles became public. During Enron-related events, by contrast, evidence for spillovers is mixed for both Andersen and non-Andersen auditees.
Afrolarinus, a new genus of Lixini (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae) from Afrotropical region with taxonomic revision

A new genus Afrolarinus gen. n. is described from tropical Africa with distinctive characters a thick longitudinal keel on pronotum, roughly sculptured integument, triangularly developed postocular lobes and prolonged cylindrical stylus base. Its distribution is confined with Afrotropical Region. Lectotypes are designated for Larinus moestus Chevrolat, 1882, Larinus obesus Petri, 1914, Larinus lindblomi Aurivillius, 1926 and Larinus flavomaculatus Hustache, 1925. New synonyms and new combinations are proposed for Afrolarinus moestus (Chevrolat, 1882) comb. n. [= Larinus abyssinicus Aurivillius, 1912 syn. n., Larinus obesus Petri, 1914 syn. n. = Larinus lindblomi Aurivillius, 1926 syn. n.], Afrolarinus flavomaculatus (Hustache, 1925) comb. n. Larinus moestus Chevrolat, 1882 is selected as the type species of the new genus. In total, two species are recognized as valid for the new genus Afrolarinus. Species are redescribed, illustrated and a key provided. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cocoonase III. PURIFICATION, PRELIMINARY CHARACTERIZATION, AND ACTIVATION OF THE ZYMOGEN OF AN INSECT PROTEASE

Abstract The inactive precursor (zymogen) of the insect protease cocoonase has been identified and purified from galeae of the silkmoth, Antheraea polyphemus. Prococoonase can be activated proteolytically, with either trypsin, subtilisin, active cocoonase, or a protease mixture isolated from the moulting fluid of A. polyphemus. The molecular weight of the zymogen is estimated as 33,000, whereas active cocoonase collected from moths has a molecular weight of approximately 24,500. Ion exchange chromatography and disc gel electrophoresis indicate that the zymogen is significantly more acidic than active cocoonase. The evolution of serine proteases is discussed.
Polymeric synthesis of biomimetic artificial compound eyes

Biologically inspired compound eyes have been developed by a 3D microfabrication method, which mimicking the unique optical scheme of the natural compound eyes found in many insects. The combination of polymer microlenses, reconfigurable microtemplating, soft lithography and self-written waveguides by self-aligned 3D optical polymerization step enables the realization of complicated optical structures with thousands of omni-directional self-aligned microlens and waveguide arrays in a photosensitive polymer resin. The characterizations of artificial ommatidia and compound eyes have been carried out with a modified reflection/transmission confocal microscope. This work offers a promising new paradigm for constructing miniaturized optical systems for omni-directional detection, wide field-of-view or fast motion detection.
Jaundice and the sulfonamide drugs.

It is apparent from a review of the reported cases of hepatitis associated with sulfonamide therapy that it is usually possible to recognize this toxic manifestation. This is of considerable practical importance since, in every instance in which the sulfonamide is responsible for the jaundice, treatment with the drug should be discontinued and some other form of therapy, such as the antibiotics, instituted. If the jaundice is not secondary to the sulfonamide, therapy may be continued even in the presence of hepatitis secondary to the infection. Jaundice which appears during the first week of chemotherapy is usually associated with a previous history of ingestion of sulfonamides and accompanying signs of toxicity (immediate sulfonamide jaundice) or with acute hemolytic anemia and jaundice (intermediate jaundice). In either instance the diagnosis is not difficult because the clinical and laboratory abnormalities are characteristic. Finally, jaundice which occurs after ten days of chemotherapy is usually associated with other toxic manifestations, especially fever and various forms of rashes (delayed jaundice). Occasionally jaundice may be the only toxic manifestation of sulfonamide therapy and, in such patients, a definite diagnosis may be difficult.
DNS prefetching and its privacy implications: when good things go bad

A recent trend in optimizing Internet browsing speed is to optimistically pre-resolve (or prefetch) DNS resolutions. While the practical benefits of doing so are still being debated, this paper attempts to raise awareness that current practices could lead to privacy threats that are ripe for abuse. More specifically, although the adoption of several browser optimizations have already raised security concerns, we examine how prefetching amplifies disclosure attacks to a degree where it is possible to infer the likely search terms issued by clients using a given DNS resolver. The success of these inference attacks relies on the fact that prefetching inserts a significant amount of context into a resolver's cache, allowing an adversary to glean far more detailed insights than when this feature is turned off.
The bawdy master of St. Thomas's Hospital

These two documents from the state papers of Henry VIII, one previously misdated, provide evidence of Thomas Cranmer's and Thomas Cromwell's investigation between 1536 and 1538 of ecclesiastical corruption involving Sir Richard Mabot, master of St. Thomas's Hospital in Southwark. This is an example of Cranmer and Cromwell genuinely attempting reform – the abuses at St. Thomas's were extensive – but Cromwell may also have tried to exploit the case to his advantage in his ongoing struggle with Bishop Stephen Gardiner for political influence with the king and to determine the future direction of the English church.