cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thinking about the Article"Man and Wife Should be Faithful and Respect Each Other"in Current"Marriage Law"

The revised article 4 "Man and Wife should be faithful and respect each other." in"Marriage law"is analyzed.That this article stipulating should be a principle of generally acknowledged truth is pointed out.Its necessity and positive meaning of the principle stipulated by law in terms of spouse right,ethnics,economics and competitive law are discussed.
[Surveillance on Japanese encephalitis in Henan province, 2006 - 2010].

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Henan province.Methods Epidemiological characteristics and related factors of JE cases in Henan province from 2006 to 2010 were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological method and JE IgM antibodies of the serum or cerebrospinal fluid of the cases were detected by ELISA.Results 3099 cases were reported in Henan province from 2006 to 2010.The incidence fluctuated from 0.39/100 000 to 1.08/100 000,and the incidence rate was decreasing.Patients were concentrated mainly in Xinyang,Nanyang and Luoyang cities,which accounted for 60.12％ of the total.The peak season was in July-September,accounted for 93.26％ of all the cases.Most cases were in 0-14 year old (83.61％) in the whole province.However,in Luoyang city,number of cases in the ≥ 15 year old group,had an obvious increase (57.63％).Compared with the provincial data,significant difference was found between the two ≥ 15 year old groups (x2=330.0341,P＜0.05)statistically.20.23％ of the JE cases were vaccinated but 75.54％ of them did not complete the whole course.79.77％ of the cases were not sure if they had received the vaccination.42.98％ of the JE cases were confirmed through laboratory tests but other 45.95％ of them were clinically diagnosed,with the rest 11.07％ were suspected cases.Conclusion The distribution of JE cases showed seasonal,regional characteristics and crowd differences in Henan province.Basic immunization and the program on strengthening immunization of JE should be further standardized.The laboratory diagnosis rate of JE cases should be further improved. Key words: Japanese encephalitis; Epidemiology
The Effects of Source, Revision Possibility, and Amount of Feedback on Marketing Students’ Impressions of Feedback on an Assignment:

This study examines how three factors affect students’ reactions to critical feedback on an assignment—amount of feedback (none vs. low amount vs. high amount), source of feedback (instructor-provi...
Optical Fibers for Biophotonics Applications

Major challenges in biophotonics applications to the life sciences include how to collect emitted low-power light (down to the nW range) from a tissue specimen and transmit it to a photon detector, how to deliver a wide range of optical power levels to a tissue area or section during different categories of therapeutic healthcare sessions, and how to access a diagnostic or treatment area within a living being with an optical detection probe or a radiant energy source in the least invasive manner. The unique physical and light-transmission properties of optical fibers enable them to help resolve such implementation issues. This chapter provides the background that is necessary to understand how optical fibers function and describes various categories of fibers that are commercially available for use in biophotonics.
The effect of human papillomavirus on DNA repair in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Much of the current literature regarding the molecular pathophysiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has focused on the virus's effect on cell cycle modulation and cell proliferation. A second mechanism of pathogenicity employed by HPV, dysregulation of cellular DNA repair processes, has been more sparsely studied. The purpose of this review is to describe current understanding about the effect of HPV on DNA repair in HNSCC, taking cues from cervical cancer literature. HPV affects DNA-damage response pathways by interacting with many proteins, including ATM, ATR, MRN, γ-H2AX, Chk1, Chk2, p53, BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51, Rb-related proteins 107 and 130, Tip60, and p16INK4A. Further elucidation of these pathways could lead to development of targeted therapies and improvement of current treatment protocols.
Beginnings and Endings: Keys to Better Engineering Technical Writing

The need to communicate engineering knowledge is still at the heart of the engineering profession both in industry and academia. This chapter first considers the overall writing process and how to get started. Then, it explores the four parts of technical writing that seem to give authors the most difficulty: title, abstract, introduction, and conclusion. These beginnings and endings play a critical role in the overall success of any technical paper. Instead of a linear approach, the chapter presents a modular approach for writing a technical report. The discussion focuses on determining the purpose of each of these beginning and ending components, the order in which they might be written, and strategies for writing and improving each one.
Cell formation in a cellular manufacturing system under uncertain demand and processing times: a stochastic genetic algorithm approach

This paper addresses the stochastic cell formation problem with a newly proposed stochastic genetic algorithm (SGA) approach considering stochastic demand and processing times, thus capacity requirements. A stochastic nonlinear mathematical model [SNMM, proposed by Egilmez et al. (2012)] and the newly proposed SGA approaches are compared based on the solution quality and execution times on 10, 20 and 30-product problems. SGA approach is used to experiment with various GA parameters including number of generation, population size, probability and type of crossover and mutation, which resulted in 456 combinations with 10-replications each. The results of the proposed SGA model indicated that the optimal solution is guaranteed with the 10 product problem and average gaps of 1.75% and 3.70% were obtained from 20 and 30-product problems, respectively. The execution times were significantly reduced by the proposed SGA model, where reductions of 87.2%, 98.3% and 99.5% were achieved in computation times.
The Role of Impedance Planimetry in the Evaluation of Esophageal Disorders.

Impedance planimetry measures tissue wall distensibility as a function of pressure and cross-sectional area. Recent interest in this technique’s relevance to the gastrointestinal tract has been accelerated by the availability of the functional lumen imaging probe, a catheter-based system that dynamically quantitates these biomechanical properties. Herein, we review the device’s particular utility in the setting of esophageal pathology, including processes affecting the esophageal body as well as the upper and lower esophageal sphincters. An expanding suite of disease-specific indications for impedance planimetry includes achalasia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and eosinophilic esophagitis. The technique has also demonstrated a role in the intraoperative guidance of therapy and in the definition of hitherto unrecognized patterns of esophageal dysmotility. Device-specific technology remains in active evolution, which, in conjunction with progressively larger datasets, sets the stage for broader clinical applicability in the near future.
Discrete-Time Adaptive Command Following and Disturbance Rejection with Unknown Exogenous Dynamics

We present an adaptive controller that requires limited model information for stabilization, command following, and disturbance rejection for multi-input, multi-output minimum-phase discrete-time systems. Specifically, the controller requires knowledge of the open-loop system's relative degree and a bound on the first nonzero Markov parameter. Notably, the controller does not require knowledge of the command or disturbance spectrum as long as the command and disturbance signals are generated by Lyapunov-stable linear systems. Thus, the command and disturbance signals are combinations of discrete-time sinusoids and steps. In addition, the controller uses feedback action only and thus does not require a direct measurement of the command or disturbance signals. We prove global asymptotic convergence for command following and disturbance rejection
Negotiation Styles: The Impact on Bargaining Transactions

This article discusses the three major negotiating styles and their impact on bargaining interactions. The first is the Cooperative/Problem-Solving style in which the participants are entirely open with each other, and work to achieve fair agreements that maximize the joint gains they achieve. The Competitive/Adversarial style involves persons who are less open and strive to maximize their own returns. The third approach involves the Competitive/Problem-Solving style in which negotiators seek generous returns for themselves, but also work to maximize the joint returns achieved by both sides. Studies show that over half of Cooperative/Problem-Solvers are considered by their peers to be effective negotiators, while fewer than 25 percent of Competitive/Adversarial negotiators are. When one examines the primary goals of Cooperative/Problem-Solvers, it becomes clear that some are wolves in sheep's clothing, since their second objective is to maximize their own returns. This is what makes many of these individuals Competitive/Problem-Solvers: they have a competitive objective, but work to maximize the joint returns achieved by the negotiating parties.
Speed Limit Policy in Michigan: The Effects on Air Pollution and Human Health

Highest Scoring Abstract: Doctoral Background In 2017, Michigan raised the speed limit from 70 to 75 mph for passenger vehicles on 614 miles of freeways and raised the truck speed limit from 60 to 65 mph on all freeways statewide. While most of the focus of this policy change has focused on weighing the cost of safety and fuel consumption with the benefit of reduced travel times, little attention has been paid to the impact this policy will have on air pollution and human health. Methods Speed data were collected using LIDAR speed detectors from a vehicle not readily visible to motorists. At each site, it was attempted to collect 100 readings for passenger vehicles and 10 readings for trucks in each direction, alongside volume counts. Before data consisted of 85 sites (59 study sites and 26 control sites); after data were collected for 42 sites (19 control sites and 23 increase sites). Average speed data were weighted by volume, which was used to estimate fuel economy of vehicles. Exposure data was then used to estimate the increase in fuel consumption and literature values were used to estimate the impacts to human health and air pollution. Results A t-test demonstrated that there was a significant increase (p Conclusions Operating speeds increased for passenger cars along study corridors, and truck operating speeds increased statewide after freeway speed limits increased. This resulted in fuel economy declining, and consequently, emissions increasing. The increase in PM2.5 emissions is the most concerning emissions increase due to the large cost to human health.
Prescription to Over-the-Counter Switch of Second-Generation Antihistamines (Loratadine)

The over-the-counter (OTC) conversion of loratadine was approved in the US in December 2002 for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, representing the first second-generation antihistamine (SGA) to be made available as an OTC product. This review examines the current evidence regarding the impact of this conversion on healthcare resource utilization and costs. Simulated decision models represent the majority of the research conducted in this area and appear to suggest that the availability of OTC loratadine reduces patient cost sharing, health-plan costs, and motor-vehicle accidents, and also improves work-related productivity. Other empirical research examining the policies adopted by health plans in response to the availability of OTC loratadine suggests that restricting access to prescription SGAs by placing these products in the third tier, thereby encouraging patients to purchase OTC loratadine, results in the greatest reduction in pharmacy-related costs for SGAs. However, early evaluations of such policies using health-plan data for the year 2003 show mixed results. Initial conclusions suggest that OTC loratadine has the potential to function as a safer treatment alternative to the sedating first-generation antihistamines in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. What is unclear is the impact of OTC loratadine on overall healthcare costs, as patients may choose the convenience of an OTC alternative to manage their allergic rhinitis in lieu of physician-supervised care. Further research is needed to examine if patients are unable to correctly diagnose their allergic rhinitis symptoms, which could potentially mask other chronic conditions and result in increased healthcare utilization and associated expenditures.
A Polyvinylidene Fluoride Bow-Tie Imaging Element

Polyvinylidene fluoride is a piezoelectric polymer film useful for imaging elements. It has many ultrasonic applications and is well suited to array technology as a replacement to ceramic piezoelectric materials. In a bow-tie configuration, this film effectively couples ultrasonic energy to and from air, producing a radiation pattern matched to the imaging requirements of array systems. We have designed and built a bow-tie array useful at frequencies up to 100 kHz. This frequency limit is imposed by element dimensions as well as ultrasonic attenuation in air. Experimental measurements confirm our model predictions. Typical applications of this device are intrusion detectors, tactile imagers, phased array sector scanners, and any other requirement where efficient coupling to air is a major objective.
Maximum Entropy Word Segmentation of Chinese Text

We extended the work of Low, Ng, and Guo (2005) to create a Chinese word segmentation system based upon a maximum entropy statistical model. This system was entered into the Third International ChineseLanguage ProcessingBakeoff and evaluated on all four corpora in their respective open tracks. Our system achieved the highest F-score for the UPUC corpus, and the second, third, and seventh highest for CKIP, CITYU, and MSRA respectively. Later testing with the gold-standard data revealed that while the additions we made to Low et al.’s system helped our results for the 2005 data with which we experimented during development, a number of them actually hurt our scores for this year’s corpora.
Children of incarcerated parents: Development of externalizing behaviors across adolescence

Abstract Increasingly, “children of incarcerated parents” is becoming the label to describe a growing number of children with a history of parental incarceration. However, while these children and families frequently experience a variety of challenges, the web of interacting influences they face is complex. This variation makes it difficult to understand the effects of parental incarceration on children over time as well as to find solutions that help promote positive youth development for children impacted by parental incarceration. The current study uses latent growth curve (LGC) modeling to examine if parental incarceration during childhood predicts a higher initial level of externalizing behaviors by children in late childhood as well as the persistence and growth of these behaviors across adolescence. The analyses controlled for the influence of covariates that research has demonstrated are predictive of externalizing behaviors, including SES, gender, academic achievement, parental depression, and parent-child relationship quality. When controlling for the covariates, parental incarceration was not significantly related to child externalizing behaviors at baseline. However, parental incarceration was the sole predictor of an increase in externalizing problems over time. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
GNSS-R Modeling Results Obtained with Improved Bistatic Radar Equation

New modeling results obtained with an improved version of the bistatic radar equation (BRE) are discussed. This version of the BRE employs arbitrary signals of opportunity and assumes a wider range of surface scattering and kinematic regimes. It contains two terms, one describing the coherent, and another, noncoherent, diffuse component. The latter term can result from any scattering model, not necessarily from the Kirchhoff Approximation/Geometric Optics model as in the previous version.The another limitation of that version pertains to a formulation of the Woodward Ambiguity Function (WAF). It was based on an assumption that all spectral components of the signal experience the same Doppler shift due to kinematic effects. However, for the signals with a significant off-nadir incidence the Doppler shift will affect various spectral components slightly differently leading to a distortion of the WAF. This phenomenon should be taken into account in altimetric measurements from low-Earth orbit platforms performed at incidence angles significantly deviating from nadir.The previous version of the BRE was limited only to the case of strong diffuse scattering, whereas the improved BRE allows computation of the Delay-Doppler Maps (DDM) also for the case of weak surface scattering which might be accompanied by the coherent component. The latter becomes an important feature in the case of the forward bistatic radar scattering from rivers, lakes, small bodies of water, wetlands, sea ice, etc.The mechanism of weak-to-moderate diffuse scattering differs from that of strong diffuse scattering. It involves scattering from surface roughness with spatial scales shorter than the high-frequency cutoff of strong diffuse scattering. For example, the modeling of ocean GNSS reflections shows sensitivity to rain surface effects at low winds.
Multimodal Classification of Document Embedded Images.

Images embedded in documents carry extremely rich information that is vital in its content extraction and knowledge construction. Interpreting the information in diagrams, scanned tables and other types of images, enriches the underlying concepts, but requires a classifier that can recognize the huge variability of potential embedded image types and enable their relationship reconstruction. Here we tested different deep learning-based approaches for image classification on a dataset of 32K images extracted from documents and divided in 62 categories for which we obtain accuracy of \(\sim 85\%\). We also investigate to what extent textual information improves classification performance when combined with visual features. The textual features were obtained either from text embedded in the images or image captions. Our findings suggest that textual information carry relevant information with respect to the image category and that multimodal classification provides up to 7% better accuracy than single data type classification.
Does Hypoxia Decrease the Metabolic Rate

In some organisms and cells, oxygen availability influences oxygen consumption. In this review, we examine this phenomenon of hypoxic hypometabolism (HH), discussing its features, mechanisms, and implications. Small mammals and other vertebrate species exhibit “oxyconformism”, a downregulation of metabolic rate and body temperature during hypoxia which is sensed by the central nervous system. Smaller body mass and cooler ambient temperature contribute to a high metabolic rate in mammals. It is this hypermetabolic state that is suppressed by hypoxia leading to HH. Larger mammals including humans do not exhibit HH. Tissues and cells also exhibit reductions in respiration during hypoxia in vitro, even at oxygen levels ample for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The mechanisms of cellular HH involve intracellular oxygen sensors including hypoxia-inducible factors, AMP-activated protein kinase, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species which downregulate mitochondrial activity and ATP utilization. HH has a profound impact on cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic physiology in rodents. Therefore, caution should be exercised when extrapolating the results of rodent hypoxia studies to human physiology.
Harnessing phenotypic networks and structural equation models to improve genome-wide association analysis

Plant breeders and breeders alike seek to develop cultivars with maximal agronomic value. The merit of breeding material is often assessed using many, often genetically correlated traits. As intervention on one trait will affect the value of another, breeding decisions should consider the relationships between traits. With the proliferation of multi-trait genome-wide association studies (MTM-GWAS), we can infer putative genetic signals at the multivariate scale. However, a standard MTM-GWAS does not accommodate the network structure of phenotypes, and therefore does not address how the traits are interrelated. We extended the scope of MTM-GWAS by incorporating phenotypic network structures into GWAS using structural equation models (SEM-GWAS). In this network GWAS model, one or more phenotypes appear in the equations for other phenotypes as explanatory variables. A salient feature of SEM-GWAS is that it can partition the total single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects into direct and indirect effects. In this paper, we illustrate the utility of SEM-GWAS using biomass, root biomass, water use, and water use efficiency in rice. We found that water use efficiency is directly impacted by biomass and water use and indirectly by biomass and root biomass. In addition, SEM-GWAS partitioned significant SNP effects influencing water use efficiency into direct and indirect effects as a function of biomass, root biomass, and water use efficiency, providing further biological insights. These results suggest that the use of SEM may enhance our understanding of complex relationships between GWAS traits.
Further Development of a Specific Conductivity Approach to Measure Groundwater Discharge Area within Lakes

Groundwater exchanges with most lakes are rarely quantified because there are many technical challenges to quantification. We investigated a lakebed mapping approach to infer the relative areas of groundwater exchange in 12 prairie shallow lakes and five Laurentian mixed forest shallow lakes in Minnesota, USA in 2011. We used a relatively common approach (seepage meters) to provide baseline information on the magnitude and direction of flow at four locations in each lake. To expand from point measurements to the whole-lake scale, we explored use of specific conductivity as a cheaper and more time efficient proxy for groundwater discharge to lakes. We validated the approach at near shore stations in each lake where seepage meter measurements and specific conductivity surveys overlapped. Specific conductivity surveys provided a similar assessment of groundwater discharge compared to seepage meters for 50% of the lake-sampling period combinations. The lakebed mapping approach, when validated for a lake with a limited number of seepage meter (or alternative methods) measurements, offers the advantages of being more time and labor efficient over the use of a similar number of seepage meter monitoring locations; seepage meters (or piezometers, for example) are costlier in terms of equipment and labor, even for single-lake studies. We show the combined approach could provide useful baselines for understanding and mapping groundwater exchange in shallow lakes.
The Coalition against Typhoid: mobilizing a community for a global fight.

Typhoid became a low priority on the global public health agenda when it was largely eliminated from developed countries in the 1940s. However, communities in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa continue to bear the brunt of the disease burden. One strategy to increase attention and coordinate action is the creation of a coalition to act as a steward for typhoid. The Coalition against Typhoid (CaT) was created in 2010 with the mission of preventing typhoid among vulnerable populations through research, education, and advocacy. CaT successfully raised the profile of typhoid through convening the community with a biennial international conference that has experienced growing participation, disseminating data and news through a website and newsletter with increasing readership, and advocating through social media and a blog reaching a diverse audience. In 2017, CaT joined forces with the Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium to "Take on Typhoid," combining advocacy and communications efforts to mobilize researchers, clinicians, and decision makers at the global, regional, and local levels to introduce the new typhoid conjugate vaccine. As a result, the knowledge base, political will, and momentum are increasingly in place to implement prevention and control interventions including the typhoid conjugate vaccine in the poor communities that have historically been left behind.
Cascaded Acoustic Group and Individual Feature Selection for Recognition of Food Likability

This paper presents the novel Cascaded acoustic Group and Individual Feature Selection (CGI-FS) method for automatic recognition of food likability rating addressed in the ICMI 2018 Eating Analysis and Tracking Challenge’s Likability Sub-Challenge. Employing the speech and video recordings of the iHEARu-EAT database, the Likability Sub-Challenge attempts to recognize self-reported binary labels, ‘Neutral’ and ‘Like’, assigned by subjects to food they consumed while speaking. CGI-FS uses an audio approach and performs a sequence of two feature selection operations by considering the acoustic feature space first in groups and then individually. In CGI-FS, an acoustic group feature is defined as a collection of features generated by the application of a single statistical functional to a specified set of audio low-level descriptors. We investigate the performance of CGI-FS using four different classifiers and evaluate the relevance of group features to the task. All four CGI-FS system results outperform the Likability Sub-Challenge baseline on iHEARu-EAT development data with the best performance achieving a 9.8% relative Unweighted Average Recall improvement over it.
Abstract 4202: Identifying predictors of racial disparities in mortality among Blacks and Whites diagnosed with breast cancer in South Carolina

Introduction: Mortality among White breast cancer (BrCA) patients is 7% lower in South Carolina (SC) and is 29% higher among Black BrCA patients in SC compared to the national average. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of racial disparities in mortality among Black and White BrCA patients in SC. Methods: Breast cancer cases were obtained retrospectively from the SC Central Cancer Registry, linked with administrative data from a private payor insurance and Medicaid Plan from 2002 to 2010. The main outcome variable was mortality which was operationalized by vital status and total survival time. The main exposure variable was patient race (White vs Black). Cox proportional hazard analyses were conducted to compare hazard ratios among Blacks and Whites to identify predictors of mortality. In assessing the relationship between race and mortality, we examined marital status, urbanicity, region, and Best Chance Network enrollment as potential effect modifiers. The multivariable model was stratified by the effect modifier variables and a backward elimination process was utilized to obtain the best fitting model among models with the following covariates: age, year of diagnosis, hormone-receptor status, stage, and grade. Results: A total of 2155 breast cancer patients (nWhites=1557; nBlacks= 598) were reported in the study period. Adjusting for cancer stage, the hazard ratio of mortality was 3.45 (1.64,7.25) among Black women who lived in the Low Country region of the state compared with White women who lived in the Low Country region of the state. In the other three regions of the state (Midlands, PeeDee and Upstate); there were no statistically significant differences between Blacks with Whites. Adjusting for cancer stage and grade showed that the hazard ratio of mortality was 1.53 (1.04,2.26) among Black women who lived in urban areas compared with White women who lived in urban areas. There were no differences between Blacks and Whites who lived in rural areas. Conclusions: Mortality was higher among Blacks who lived in the Low Country region of the state and among Blacks who lived in urban areas. To reduce racial disparities in survival, efforts directed at early detection and linkage to timely breast cancer treatment should be focused on black women living in the Low Country region of the state and in urban areas. Citation Format: Oluwole Adeyemi Babatunde, Swann A. Adams, Jan M. Eberth, Tisha M. Felder, Robert Moran, Samantha Truman, Christian Alvarado, James Hebert. Identifying predictors of racial disparities in mortality among Blacks and Whites diagnosed with breast cancer in South Carolina [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4202.
Wheel Bearing Fault Isolation and Prognosis Using Acoustic Based Approach

Wheel bearing fault detection, isolation and failure prognosis are critical to improve perceived quality and customer experience for retail vehicles, and to reduce the repair cost and down time for fleet vehicles. Currently, most of the research in bearing failure and degradation diagnosis focus on vibration signal analytics. However, these techniques are rarely applied in automotive industry due to the high sensor cost, installation space limitation, and limited communication bandwidth. In this work, an acoustic based approach for wheel bearing fault detection and isolation is developed to overcome these limitations. Since the bearing noise is a precursor of bearing failure, the proposed method is a prognosis solution. The whole solution is verified using the data collected from a production vehicle. The results show that the proposed method can predict the wheel bearing failure with promising accuracy and robustness.
Same Problem, Different Policies: A Framework for Examining Social Problem Constructions Over Time

Educators teaching policy analysis can choose from many available frameworks, varying in purpose and approach. These frameworks typically advise students to view policies as transient and context-sensitive, but to view the problems activating the policies as objective and static conditions. How problems are variably framed in policy relative to how students are advised to analyze them has not captured the profession’s interest. This article presents 1) an overview of policy analysis frameworks; 2) a summary of findings from a recent study investigating how social policy texts advise students to analyze problems and; 3) a social constructionist framework (matrix) that provides an historical and contextual view of social problems and policy responses. This Problem-to-Policy framework corrects the omissions in most frameworks by including the forces that contributed to a problem’s discovery and construction, while also identifying periods of silence when the problem endured yet faded from view. The author argues that this framework bolsters policy practice by 1) emphasizing those problem frames and contexts that historically led to progressive policies and 2) underscores the urgency for social workers to engage with affected populations in the initial (re)claiming and (re)framing of problems, rather than during the later policy-making stages when constructions have already presaged policy responses.
Bronchoscopic biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions in 2020: a review of existing technologies

There are over 200,000 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed annually in the United States resulting in nearly 150,000 deaths, making lung cancer the most lethal of all forms of cancer. Only 1 in 6 lung cancers are diagnosed at an early stage an over half are diagnosed with distant metastasis. Despite advances in screening and treatment, the 5-year survival rate for all lung cancers remains low, around 20%. The advent of effective lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography has started to shift diagnosis to earlier stages. Screening, along with the ever-increasing use of chest CT, have led to an exponential increase in the detection of indeterminate lung nodules. For many nodules, effective diagnosis relies on invasive tissue sample collection. Advances in bronchoscopic technology have allowed for safe and increasingly effective tissue diagnosis of these nodules; however, inconsistencies across studies evaluating diagnostic yield remain. This review will provide an overview of the advanced bronchoscopic technologies currently in wide use, the quality of data supporting their use, some of the perceived weaknesses and strengths of each technology, and introduce promising emerging diagnostic platforms poised to advance the field. Ultimately, quality comparative research is needed to accurately characterize the diagnostic test performance of currently available bronchoscopic platforms, improve the efficacy of bronchoscopy-generated diagnostic yields while maintaining, their strong safety profile.
Transcriptome analysis reveals sexual disparities in gene expression in rat brain microvessels.

Sex is an important determinant of brain microvessels (MVs) function and susceptibility to cerebrovascular and neurological diseases, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. Using high throughput RN...
A Comment on the Conformable Euler Finite Difference Method

A method, recently advanced as the conformable Euler method, a general method for the finite difference discretization of fractional initial value problems for fractions in (0, 1], is shown to be valid only for the integer derivative. The property of the conformable fractional derivative used to show this limitation of the method is used, together with the integer definition of the derivative, to derive a modified conformable Euler method for the initial value problem considered.
Legal Monuments for Srebrenica in the Hague

This paper addresses the question whether the premises of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and court judgments adjudicating the responsibility of various actors for what happened in Srebrenica, could be considered “legal monuments”, urging us to remember and show respect for the victims of the Srebrenica genocide of 1995.
Gene-environment interaction analysis incorporating sex, cardiometabolic diseases, and multiple deprivation index reveals novel genetic associations with COVID-19 severity

Increasing evidence indicates that specific genetic variants influence the severity of outcomes after infection with COVID-19. However, it is not clear whether the effect of these genetic factors is independent of the risk due to more established non-genetic demographic and metabolic risk factors such as male sex, poor cardiometabolic health, and low socioeconomic status. We sought to identify interactions between genetic variants and non-genetic risk factors influencing COVID-19 severity via a genome-wide interaction study in the UK Biobank. Of 378,051 unrelated individuals of European ancestry, 2,402 were classified as having experienced severe COVID-19, defined as hospitalization or death due to COVID-19. Exposures included sex, cardiometabolic risk factors (obesity and type 2 diabetes [T2D], tested jointly), and multiple deprivation index. Multiplicative interaction was tested using a logistic regression model, conducting both an interaction test and a joint test of genetic main and interaction effects. Five independent variants reached genome-wide significance in the joint test, one of which also reached significance in the interaction test. One of these, rs2268616 in the PGF gene, showed stronger effects in males and in individuals with T2D. None of the five variants showed effects on a similarly-defined phenotype in a lookup in the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. These results reveal potential additional genetic loci contributing to COVID-19 severity and demonstrate the value of including non-genetic risk factors in an interaction testing approach for genetic discovery.
China's new Towns in Controversy: A Literature Review:

In the past forty years, more than 3,800 new towns emerged and accommodated over 150 million urban inhabitants in China, which drew much attention since they were reported as “ghost cities” by medi...
The Golgi apparatus and membrane trafficking in green algae.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some of the major aspects of endomembrane system of green algae or Chlorophyta, with emphasis on aspects about the Golgi apparatus (GA) and post-trans face membrane trafficking. The endomembrane systems of various green algae comprise a rich diversity of type. The specific diversity of extracellular-matrix components and other secretory products and the wide range of mechanisms involved in regulating membrane levels and developmental patterns define such endomembrane diversity. This wide morphological diversity is often expressed in distinct, evolutionary transitions. This rich morphological and associated phylogenetic diversity has made green algae popular specimens in developmental and evolutionary studies. Some components or processes of the green algal endomembrane system are significantly different than what is known for other eukaryotes. In addition to vacuoles, other distinct endomembrane constituents found in green algae include post-trans face chambers, scale reservoirs, and charasomes. Many higher plant cells possess a special post-trans face chamber called the partially coated reticulum (PCR). This endomembrane component has been suggested to be a compartment involved in membrane trafficking especially in the recycling of membrane via endocytosis.
Massive puberty hypertrophy of the breasts

Abstract A case of puberty hypertrophy of the breasts in a girl of fourteen years is described, including endocrinologic studies. The pathologic anatomy indicates a marked hyperplasia of the glandular and connective tissue elements with preservation of the unripe lobular structure ordinarily encountered at puberty. The hormonal factors responsible for mammary growth are discussed and a correlation made with normal physiologic development of the breast. The weight of evidence indicates that the estrogenic hormone and possibly also the corpus luteum hormone is directly responsible for growth of the breast and is concerned in the etiology of puberty hypertrophy.
The Institutional Foundation of Foreign-Invested Enterprises (FIEs) in China

Foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) are now an important component of the Chinese economy. Since 1992, the growth of FIEs has been exponential. However our understanding of the institutional factors driving the FIE growth remains limited. This paper uses data from 39 industries in China for a period of three years (1995-1997) to explore the institutional foundation of the FIE growth. Our findings suggest that the debt obligations on the part of the SOEs and the local control of the SOEs promote the growth of FIEs and that some of the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows result in acquisition of existing assets and shift asset controls from SOEs to FIEs.
Achieving goals in higher education: An experiential approach to sustainability studies

Purpose – The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a concrete example of how experiential learning approaches (from internships in global policy institutes to visiting communities in rural Amazonia to meeting with officials from inter‐governmental organizations) can be implemented in order to most effectively meet specific educational goals in international sustainability studies.Design/methodology/approach – Using four key educational goals as the framework for discussion, the author presents a multi‐dimensional international experiential program at American University as an example of how non‐traditional educational approaches can be used to supplement the traditional lecture‐based format.Findings – The case illustrates how experiential learning offers an educational experience that most effectively: connects the academic with the practice, fosters an effective interdisciplinary curriculum, links students to work experience and job opportunities, and engages and empowers students.Research limitat...
Stereotactic coordinates associated with facial musculature contraction during high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus.

Object High-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in patients with parkinsonian symptoms is often used to ameliorate debilitating motor symptoms associated with this condition. However, individual variability in the shape and orientation of this relatively small nucleus results in multiple side effects related to the spread of electrical current to surrounding structures. Specifically, contraction of the muscles of facial expression is noted in a small percentage of patients, although the precise mechanism remains poorly understood. Methods Facial muscle contraction was triggered by high-frequency stimulation of 49 contacts in 18 patients undergoing deep brain stimulation of the STN. The mean coordinates of these individual contacts relative to the anterior commissure–posterior commissure midpoint (also called the midcommissural point) were calculated to determine the location or structure(s) most often associated with facial contraction during physiological macrostimulation. Results The ...
Interpretation and downstream correlation of bedrock river terrace treads created from propagating knickpoints

[1] Derivation of an analytical model for the slope of a strath terrace created following an upstream propagating wave of incision reveals that for detachment-limited river incision the exponent on channel slope, n, governs terrace tread slope. Terrace elevations can increase upstream (n > 1), downstream (n < 1), or can be horizontal (n = 1). Numerical modeling confirms these results for temporally evolving knickpoint geometries and for incision due to sudden base level fall and an increase in rock uplift rate. Except in the case of bedrock river incision with a slope threshold only exceeded during knickpoint propagation, a terrace created from transient headward incision contains no information about the paleo-channel gradient. Gradients in rock uplift rate along channels potentially complicate the interpretation of terraces by altering the primary tilt on strath terraces. In particular, monotonic gradients in rock uplift can produce terrace treads that are apparently folded. Because gradients in rock uplift rate are common, where terraces are not longitudinally traceable, care is warranted in terrace correlation. In simple tectonic settings where terraces are longitudinally traceable, the slope of a strath terrace created from headward incision may provide a means of estimating the dependency of river incision rate on channel slope. Terraces in four locations argued to have formed from headward incision are parallel or close to parallel with the active channel, implying a slope exponent on river incision rate that is much greater than one or a threshold slope for incision that is only exceeded during knickpoint propagation.
Expression of diphtheria toxin genes carried by integrated and nonintegrated phage beta.

Abstract Two lysogenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae , C7, carrying different mutant prophages β were superinfected with a clear-plaque mutant of β. The genomes of the superinfecting phages did not undergo replication and were diluted out during subsequent cell divisions. Diphtheria toxin genes of both the superinfecting phage and the prophage were expressed.
Respiratory Disease Diagnostics of Cattle

Cattle appear to be more susceptible to respiratory disease based on anatomic and physiologic factors. Diagnostic sampling and tests can provide valuable information when investigating causes of respiratory disease within a group of cattle. Diagnostic tests should be selected based on several criteria including quality of the sample, diagnostic question, producer goals, history, diagnostic laboratory, diagnostician, and economy. Veterinarians and producers should agree on the diagnostic question, testing goals, and use of results before submitting samples.
Description of millisecond Ohmic heating and forming of metallic glasses

A quantitative description of the millisecond capacitive discharge heating and forming process built on a finite-element simulation platform is introduced. The platform incorporates thermodynamic and rheological models that extend beyond the supercooled liquid regime accessible by conventional calorimetry and rheology, accessing the regime that has just recently been uncovered via millisecond Ohmic heating. For the first time, a description of the dynamic glass transition is introduced and incorporated into the platform. The platform accurately simulates the process evolution and the thermodynamic and rheological response of the metallic glass, providing excellent agreement with experiments. Features such as the rapid temperature response, a dynamic glass-transition accommodated by a broad enthalpy recovery, a remarkable temperature and deformational uniformity, and an enthalpy trend that validates the adiabatic constraint, are accurately simulated. The platform is considered a useful tool for modeling the dynamic response and process evolution of metallic glasses under rapid uniform heating.
Immunological effects of 2-methoxyethanol administered dermally or orally to Fischer 344 rats

Exposure of rats to 2-methoxyethanol (ME) by gavage for 10 consecutive days results in immunotoxicity. To determine whether dermal exposure to ME also induces immunotoxicity, undiluted ME was applied to Fisher 344 male rats at dose levels of 150, 300, 600, 900 or 1200 mg/kg/day on shaved occluded test sites for 4 consecutive days. Decreased thymus weights were produced by all doses of ME, while reductions in spleen weight were observed at doses of 900 mg/kg/day ME or greater. The alterations in these lymphoid organ weights were produced in the absence of loss in body weight. The lymphoproliferative (LP) responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were enhanced at 1200 mg/kg/day ME compared with water controls. Separate groups of rats, employed for the antibody plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to either trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide (TNP-LPS) or sheep red blood cells (SRBC), were exposed dermally to 150, 300 or 600 mg/kg/day ME for 4 consecutive days. A reduction in the PFC response to TNP was observed at 600 mg/kg/day ME, whereas decreases in the PFC response to SRBC were observed at dosages of 300 and 600 mg/kg/day ME. To compare the immunotoxic effects of dermally applied ME to those effects caused by ME administered orally, rats were dosed by gavage with 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day ME in distilled water for 4 consecutive days. Reductions in thymus weights were observed at oral dosages ranging from 50-200 mg/kg/day, while spleen weights were reduced in rats dosed at 200 mg/kg/day ME. LP responses to PHA, PWM and Salmonella typhimurium were increased at the 200 mg/kg/day ME dose level. PFC responses to TNP-LPS and SRBC were suppressed at the 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day ME dosages. These results indicate that, like oral exposure, dermal exposure to ME compromises the ability of the immune system to mount an effective humoral immune response.
The Effects of International Differences in the Tax Treatment of Goodwill: A Reply

This reply summarizes the major findings of Dunne and Ndubizu [1995] and addresses the comments of Nobes [1996]. The assumptions underlying the tax hypothesis [Dunne and Ndubizu 1995] are reviewed. A possible suggestion for a direct test of the hypothesis is presented as well as the requirements for the falsification of a hypothesis.