cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental crystallization of gallium: ultrasonic measurements of elastic anisotropy and implications for the inner core

We present ultrasonic measurements of elastic anisotropy in gallium undergoing directional solidification in the presence of imposed thermal gradients, rotation, convection, turbulence, and magnetic fields. Simultaneous in situ measurements of temperature and compressional wave speed are used to track the crystallization front during solidification. We find that individual solidified gallium samples are always polycrystalline and elastically anisotropic, with grains elongated in the solidification direction. The measured compressional wave anisotropy in individual solid samples ranges from 20 to 80% of the single crystal values, depending on experimental conditions. We also find the amount of elastic anisotropy varies with position in an individual sample. Based on ensemble averages from multiple experiments made under similar environmental conditions, we find the direction of elastic anisotropy in the solid is sensitive to the thermal gradient direction, while the amount of anisotropy is most sensitive to the presence or absence of initial nucleation in the melt. Experiments that show average anisotropy have the ultrasonically fast axis aligned with gravity and the thermal gradient. Strongly anisotropic solids result when nucleation grains are present in the initial melt, whereas smaller or zero average anisotropy results when nucleation grains are initially absent. Other externally imposed factors we have examined, such as turbulence and magnetic fields, have either no measurable influence or tend to reduce the amount of anisotropy of the solid. Our results suggest that during crystallization of Earth’s inner core, the orientation of average anisotropy in the newly formed solid is controlled primarily by radial solidification, while the amount of anisotropy may be influenced by pre-existing inner core texture. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Two-dimensional global optimization based upon a continuous Wiener model

A method of global optimization is presented which extends Kushner's one-dimensional method into higher dimensions. This technique differs from other n-dimensional extensions since it retains the properties of Kushner's original method, models the unknown function by a stochastic process which is continuous over the search space, and is capable of finding solutions along the boundaries of the space. This formulation of the problem allows an analytic solution for the point of maximum probability for the entire search space which explicitly considers the boundaries of the search space as possible locations for the global solution. >
Six-dimensional supergravity on S3 × AdS3 and 2d conformal field theory

In this paper we study the relation between six-dimensional supergravity compactified on S 3 × AdS3 and certain two-dimensional conformal field theories. We compute the Kaluza-Klein spectrum of supergravity using representation theory; these methods are quite general and can also be applied to other compactifications involving anti-de Sitter spaces. A detailed comparison between the spectrum of the two-dimensional conformal field theory and supergravity is made, and we find complete agreement. This applies even at the level of certain non-chiral primaries, and we propose a resolution to the puzzle of the missing states recently raised by Vafa. As a further illustration of the method the Kaluza-Klein spectra of F-theory on M 6 × S 3 × AdS3 and of M-theory on M 6 × S 2 × AdS3 are computed, with M 6 some Calabi-Yau manifold.
The impacts of CGIAR research: A review of recent evidence

We review evidence on the impacts of CGIAR research published since 2000 in order to provide insight into how successfully the CGIAR Centers have been in pursuing the System’s core missions. Our review suggests that CGIAR research contributions in crop genetic improvement, pest management, natural resources management, and policy research have, in the aggregate, yielded strongly positive impacts relative to investment, and appear likely to continue doing so. Crop genetic improvement research stands out as having had the most profound documented positive impacts. Substantial evidence exists that other research areas within the CGIAR have had large beneficial impacts although often locally and nationally rather than internationally. However, the ‘‘right-time, right-place” nature of successful policy research and the relatively limited geographic scale of much natural resource management research often limits the overall scale of impacts of these programmatic thrusts vis-a-vis genetic improvement research. We conclude that given the evidence available, the CGIAR’s portfolio of research allocations has become overly skewed toward natural resource management and policy research over time. Hence, restoring somewhat the share of resources allocated to crop genetic improvement is warranted. In addition, the CGIAR needs to prioritize impact assessment of resource management and policy research to deepen its understanding of the social and environmental impacts of its work.
Hundreds of conserved non-coding genomic regions are independently lost in mammals

Conserved non-protein-coding DNA elements (CNEs) often encode cis-regulatory elements and are rarely lost during evolution. However, CNE losses that do occur can be associated with phenotypic changes, exemplified by pelvic spine loss in sticklebacks. Using a computational strategy to detect complete loss of CNEs in mammalian genomes while strictly controlling for artifacts, we find >600 CNEs that are independently lost in at least two mammalian lineages, including a spinal cord enhancer near GDF11. We observed several genomic regions where multiple independent CNE loss events happened; the most extreme is the DIAPH2 locus. We show that CNE losses often involve deletions and that CNE loss frequencies are non-uniform. Similar to less pleiotropic enhancers, we find that independently lost CNEs are shorter, slightly less constrained and evolutionarily younger than CNEs without detected losses. This suggests that independently lost CNEs are less pleiotropic and that pleiotropic constraints contribute to non-uniform CNE loss frequencies. We also detected 35 CNEs that are independently lost in the human lineage and in other mammals. Our study uncovers an interesting aspect of the evolution of functional DNA in mammalian genomes. Experiments are necessary to test if these independently lost CNEs are associated with parallel phenotype changes in mammals.
A Survey of Publicly Funded Asbestos Abatement Projects in the County of Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, during the Time Period 1996–1999

A survey of asbestos abatement projects performed by public agencies was undertaken for the County of Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. The time period for this survey was 1996 to November 1999. Project data c
Comparative fitness of invasive and native populations of the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli).

Two genetically distinct potato psyllid populations [ Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Homoptera: Psyllidae)] were identified in our previous study: native and invasive. The invasive population, ranging from Baja, Mexico to central California, was the result of a recent invasion, while the native population is endemic to Texas. The native (Texas) and invasive (California) populations were collected from tomato and pepper, respectively, and were examined on both hosts to test the comparative fitness of invasive populations. Our results indicated that on both plant hosts, psyllids from the native range demonstrated higher survivorship, a higher growth index, and shorter development times than the psyllids from invasive populations. The fecundity of the native-range psyllids also was significantly higher than that of invasive psyllids on tomato, but not on pepper. For the native population, host plant differences for all fitness measurements were not significant. However, within the invasive population, psyllids feeding on tomatoes showed consistently better survivorship and a higher growth index than those feeding on pepper, despite the decreased developmental time required on peppers. The LC 50 values (concentrations causing 50% mortality) of both populations were determined for three pesticides. Resistance to two of these pesticides was found in the invasive population. Thus, the invasive quality of the California populations may be related to increased pesticide resistance. However, it is impossible to determine if the California population was preadapted to pesticide resistance, or if the resistance developed after the range expansion and is simply a contributing factor to maintaining the expansion.
Ethics, law, and nutritional support.

Nutritional assessment and support of patients have evolved into well-accepted medical practices in the last ten years. Enteral and intravenous (IV) feeding procedures are a routine component of the medical treatment of a large number of patients, both in and out of hospitals. Clinicians today also possess the technical means to nourish a group of patients that previously could not be supported: unconscious patients incapable of taking food orally. With advanced techniques of nutritional support, however, come questions about the propriety of their administration to particular patients. Just as many choices about medical care are influenced by moral beliefs and legal considerations, so are decisions to deliver or withhold nutrition. This article discusses ethical and legal issues raised in these situations and analyzes a case in which the choice of whether to feed the patient depends heavily on the application of two moral principles—beneficence and autonomy. Feeding unconscious patients can
Unexpected results in online controlled experiments

Controlled experiments, also called randomized experiments and A/B tests, have had a profound influence on multiple fields, including medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and advertising. Offline controlled experiments have been well studied and documented since Sir Ronald A. Fisher led the development of statistical experimental design while working at the Rothamsted Agricultural Experimental Station in England in the 1920s. With the growth of the world-wide-web and web services, online controlled experiments are being used frequently, utilizing software capabilities like ramp-up (exposure control) and running experiments on large server farms with millions of users. We share several real examples of unexpected results and lessons learned.
Sintering of Sol—Gel-Prepared Submicrometer Particles Studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy

We studied the sintering process of sol-gel-prepared monodisperse submicrometer CeO2 spheres by examining the microstructural changes of single spherical particles after successive heat treatment in oxygen up to 850°C using transmission electron microscopy. Steps of organic phase removal, CeO2 crystallization, grain growth, and particle condensation were clearly illustrated. Grain-size and sphere-diameter changes were measured quantitatively using this technique. CeO2 particles were found to be highly porous until collapse, which occurred at~850°C.
The need for homelessness prevention: a doctor's view of life and death on the streets.

This issue of The Journal of Primary Prevention sounds an urgent and compelling clarion call to policy makers, politicians, advocates, clinicians, and to all committed to ending the social tragedy of homelessness in modern America. Over the past three decades, homelessness has emerged as a complex social phenomenon that thwarts simple definitions and is perhaps best viewed as a prism that refracts the failures of key sectors of our society, including housing, welfare, labor, education, health care, and corrections. Efforts to prevent homelessness have failed in the face of the compelling urgency of the daily crisis posed by thousands of individuals and families already on our streets and in our shelters. The papers in this timely edition of JPP begin the arduous task of stemming the relentless tide of Americans swept from housing and institutions into homelessness each year. Prevention remains poorly understood and yet is the sine qua non for ending homelessness. Homelessness in urban and rural America includes an eclectic population spanning a continuum from families with children, to adolescents and youths, to
Direct Inhibitory Effect of Enclomiphene Citrate and Estradiol on Testis Functions in Hypophysectomized Rats

The direct effects of estradiol (E2) and enclomiphene citrate on testicular LH/hCG receptor content, steroidogenesis and morphology were studied in immature, hypophysectomized rats treated with FSH. Treatment with FSH (100 pg bovine FSH for 5 days) caused a marked increase in testis weight. This increase was abolished by concomitant injections of E2 (1 or 10 pg), while concomitant treatment with enclomiphene citrate (1â€”?�1 00 pg) had no significant effect. The sper matogenesis maintained by FSH was inhibited by concomitant daily treatment with E2 (1 or 10 pg) or enchomiphene citrate (100 pg). FSH treatment increased the LH/hCG receptor content of the testis. Concomitant administration of E2 (1 or 10 pg) or a high dose of enclomiphene citrate (100 pg) abolished the FSH-induced increase in LH/hCG receptors. In vitro incubations of the testis demonstrated that FSH treatment caused a marked rise in basal and hCG-stimulated testos terone production whereas concomitant treatment with E2 or enclomiphene citrate inhibited the FSH stimulated increase in testosterone production. The steroidogenic responsiveness to hCG was markedly depressed by treatment with either 1 or 10 pg E2 (71 and 91% decreases, respectively). Likewise, treatment with 1 or 100 pg enchomiphene citrate decreased testosterone production by 32 and 60%, respectively. Associated with the decrease in testosterone production, marked sup pression of androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) production was observed in animals treated with estradiol or enclomiphene citrate while that of the 17a-hydroxylated pre cursors was less severely affected. These steroidogenic changes were accompanied by accumulation of C2, steroid intermediates (progesterone and pregnenolone) suggesting that the inhibitory effect of E2 and enchomiphene citrate was associated with a defect in 17cs-hydroxylase and/or 17â€”20 desmohaseactivity. The results of this study indicate @that enchomiphene citrate, like E2, has a direct inhibitory effect on the testis. Low doses of these compounds inhibit testosterone production mediated via decreased steroidogenic enzyme activity, whereas high doses of these compounds further decrease testicular LH/hCG receptor content and spermatogenesis.
Sparsifying preconditioner for soliton calculations

We develop a robust and efficient method for soliton calculations for nonlinear Schrodinger equations. The method is based on the recently developed sparsifying preconditioner combined with Newton's iterative method. The performance of the method is demonstrated by numerical examples of gap solitons in the context of nonlinear optics.
Structure and dynamics of CO2 on rutile TiO2(110)- 1×1

Adsorption, binding, and diffusion of CO2 molecules on model rutile TiO2(110)-1×1 surfaces were investigated experimentally using scanning tunneling microscopy, infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy (IRAS), molecular beam scattering, and temperature programmed desorption and theoretically via dispersion corrected density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics. In accord with previous studies, bridging oxygen (Ob) vacancies (VO’s) are found to be the most stable binding sites. Additional CO2 adsorbs on 5-coordinated Ti sites (Ti5c) with the initial small fraction stabilized by CO2 adsorbed on VO sites. The Ti5c-bound CO2 is found to be highly mobile at 50 K at coverages of up to 1/2 monolayer (ML). Theoretical studies show that the CO2 diffusion on Ti5c rows proceeds via a rotation-tumbling mechanism with extremely low barrier of 0.06 eV. The Ti5c-bound CO2 molecules are found to bind preferentially to a single Ti5c with the O═C═O axis tilted away from the surface normal. The binding ener...
Fenomenologia del riutilizzo: Dante in M. Pearl e S. Meredith

Partendo da alcune riflessioni di Ceserani, il saggio propone l ’ analisi di due recenti rielaborazioni americane del capolavoro dantesco: il romanzo The Dante club di M. Pearl e il film indipendente Dante’s inferno , di S. Meredith. In entrambe le opere si mettono in luce l ’ efficacia del dispositivo del contrappasso in termini diegetici e il discorso politico implicito nelle due narrazioni. Starting with some brief remarks by Cesarani, the essay focuses on two recent American re-adaptations of Dante ’ s masterpiece, i.e. M. Pearl ’ s novel The Dante club and Dante’s inferno , an independent movie by S. Meredith. In each work, the author traces the effectiveness of the pattern of contrappasso in diegetic terms, along with their implicit political narratives.
Fidelity of frequency and phase entrainment of circuit-level spike activity during DBS.

High-frequency stimulation is known to entrain spike activity downstream and upstream of several clinical deep brain stimulation (DBS) targets, including the cerebellar-receiving area of thalamus (...
A Refinement of the Crystal Structure of Na2CO3 · H2O.

The crystal structure of synthetic Na2CO3·H2O has been refined using 1231 unique x-ray diffraction data collected by the peak height method on a diffractometer. R = 0.034. The unit cell is a = 6.474(2), b= 10.724(3) and c = 5.259(2) A with z = 4 and space group P21ab. The calculated density is the same as the observed density, 2.26 g·cm-3. The structure contains sheets of CO32- ions bonded to Na+ ions and water molecules roughly halfway between the sheets. Each CO32- bonds edgewise to both Na+ ions. The Na+ ions have irregular but similar coordinations of seven neighbors. Each water molecule is bonded to both Na+ ions and forms hydrogen bonds to both neighboring CO32- layers.
Complémentarité allergénique des pollens de trois espèces de cupressacées disponibles en France

Introduction En France, les extraits allergeniques de cupressacees disponibles pour le diagnostic et l’immunotherapie allergenique sont les pollens de cypres d’Italie (Cupressus sempervirens), d’Arizona (C. arizonica) et de Genevrier de Ashe (Juniperus ashei). La question de la pertinence clinique et de la justification de la production de ces trois especes sont souvent posees, les trois allergenes principaux (groupes 1, 2 et 3) montrant plus de 93 % d’identite de sequences. Methodes A l’aide de serums humains ayant de fort taux d’IgE anti-nCup a 1, les profils allergeniques des trois especes ont ete analyses par SDS-PAGE-immunoempreinte. La reactivite d’anticorps monospecifiques anti-pectate lysase (groupe 1), polygalacturonase (groupe 2) et thaumatin-like protein (groupe 3) a ete egalement etudiee. Resultats Le cypres d’Italie montre la plus grande diversite allergenique, avec la reconnaissance de plusieurs allergenes a 45 kDa (Cup s 1 et 2), 34, 19, 17 et 14 kDa. Cup s 2 est moins present que Cup a 1, l’allergene de 34 kDa est particulierement present et une profiline est detectee. Le cypres d’Arizona montre une diversite allergenique plus restreinte, avec une presence apparemment equivalente de Cup a 1 et Cup a 2 (45 kDa). La bande 17 kDa est egalement presente. Cup s 3 et Cup a 3 ne sont pas detectables, au seuil de la methode. Le genevrier montre une diversite allergenique proche de celle du cypres d’Arizona, avec une presence equivalente de Jun a 1 et Jun a 2 (45 kDa). Jun a 3 est detectable a 24 kDa. Discussion La diversite allergenique des trois especes de cupressacees est visiblement differente mais complementaire. Chacune presente ses caracteristiques propres : le cypres d’Italie amene une grande diversite allergenique, y compris des allergenes non encore caracterises, le cypres d’Arizona, une forte teneur en groupe 1 et groupe 2, tandis que le genevrier de Ashe, contient du groupe 1 et 2 mais egalement du groupe 3 detectable. Conclusion Dans l’etat actuel des connaissances concernant la pertinence clinique des divers allergenes des cupressacees, l’interet de la mise a disposition des trois especes parait justifie au vue de la forte complementarite des profils allergeniques.
Radioscan of electrophoretically separated thymine-H3 compounds from bone marrow cultures.

SummaryAn agar gel electrophoretic method has been described for separation of both nonradioactive and tritiated thymine, thymidine and thymidine-5′-monophosphate. The results obtained by this technique were faster and simpler, but comparable to those of column chromatography of bone marrow fluids. The radioactive samples separated on a microscope coverglass were subsequently scanned using an automatic gas flow counter. This quantitative procedure was useful for the study of nucleosides and nucleotides separated by agar gel electrophoresis.
Hydrogen Maser Auto-Tuning Systems

The active hydrogen maser is one of the most stable frequency standards for averaging times up to a few thousand seconds. In the longer term the frequency stability deteriorates, mainly as the result of frequency pulling due to changes in dimensions (and hence, resonant frequency) of the resonant cavity in the maser. In order to reduce this effect an auto-tuner (a device which causes the resonant cavity to be maintained automatically at the correct frequency) is employed. Two auto-tuning methods are considered in this paper. They are the beam flux modulation method [1] and the signal injection method [2].
The luteal phase during gonadotropin therapy: effects of two human chorionic gonadotropin regimens

Objective Luteal phase abnormalities are known to complicate ovulation induction with gonadotropins. This study was performed to test the effect of a modified human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) regimen on the luteal phase during gonadotropin treatment. Design Fifteen women from a private practice setting volunteered to be studied during each of two nonconception, gonadotropin-stimulated cycles. After ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG), hCG was administered either as a single dose of 10,000 IU (single dose) or in two divided doses of 5,000 IU given 1 week apart (split dose). Main Outcome Measures Early, midluteal, and late luteal estradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P) levels and luteal phase lengths were measured, and their median values and intraquartile ranges (IQR) compared using nonparametric analysis. Results Early and midluteal E 2 and P levels were similar regardless of which hCG regimen was administered. The median late luteal E 2 level was 1,146.0 pg/mL (the IQR ranged from 633 to 1,650, IQR=1,017) with the split-dose regimen and 240.0 pg/mL (the IQR ranged from 150 to 460, IQR=310) with the single-dose regimen. The median late luteal P level was 108.0 ng/mL (the IQR ranged from 58.5 to 129, IQR=70.5) with the split-dose regimen and 4.2 ng/mL (the IQR ranged from 1.9 to 11.7, IQR=9.8) with the single-dose regimen. Median luteal phase lengths were 16 days (the IQR ranged from 15 to 17, IQR=2) for the split-dose regimen and 11 days (the IQR ranged from 10 to 12, IQR=2) for the single-dose regimen. Conclusion In hMG-stimulated cycles, a second dose of hCG given during the midluteal phase significantly increases late luteal E 2 and P levels and consistently lengthens the luteal phase.
Organisation and description of datasets

AbstractThrough the exploration of the websites and catalogues of a number of national archives and dataset repositories, this article identifies the similarities and differences between the knowledge organisation methods of national archives and those of dataset repositories, and finds that dataset repositories use more specialised metadata standards and support more flexible knowledge organisation and easier data access and use. Based on the findings, the author discusses some possible approaches that archival institutions can take to improve data description and support better data discovery and use.
Solar-similar near-infra-red suppressed “Blue” calibration source

Laboratory calibration and characterization methods using incandescent sources have notoriously been weak at short wavelengths. A homogeneous spectral radiance source better matching that of a bright terrestrial target has been developed. Standard industry practices and the issues encountered are discussed. How our solution addresses the problem and experimental details of our approach will be presented. This effort is part of an overall goal of developing cost-effective techniques for accommodating and determining the radiometric calibration of imaging spectrometers operating in the long ultraviolet to short wavelength infrared, 380 to 2510 nm, region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
High altitude is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a matched case-control study in Medicare patients

Background Although the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following elective shoulder arthroscopy is low, the large volume of procedures performed each year yields a significant annual burden of patients with thromboembolic complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of high procedural altitude with the incidence of postoperative VTE following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Methods A Medicare database was queried for all patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from 2005 to 2012. All patients with procedures performed at an altitude of 4000 feet or higher were grouped into the "high-altitude" study cohort. Patients with procedures performed at an altitude of 100 feet or lower were then matched to patients in the high-altitude cohort on the basis of age, gender, and medical comorbidities. The rate of VTE was then assessed for both the high-altitude and matched low-altitude cohorts within 90 days postoperatively. Results The rates of combined VTE (odds ratio [OR], 2.6; P P P = .029) were all significantly higher in patients with procedures performed at high altitude compared with matched patients with the same procedures performed at low altitude. Conclusions Procedural altitude >4000 feet is associated with significantly increased rates of postoperative VTE, including deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, compared with age-, gender-, and comorbidity-matched patients undergoing the same procedures at altitudes
Black invisibility on a Brazilian ‘frontier’: land and identity in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACTThis article centers attention on race, place, and space as co-produced concepts that reveal much about both how racial ideology operates and is constituted in contemporary Brazil. In Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, the ethno-racial order constructs the region as devoid of colonized people and consummately available for capital-intensive agribusiness production. Land protests in Mato Grosso do Sul by black and indigenous activists undermine popular fantasies of racial harmony embedded in Brazilian-ness. The regional variation of the latter denies the historical and contemporary presence of black Brazilians in narratives of the state’s founding and contemporary status as a ‘frontier’. This article argues that we may consider ‘coming out’ moments by blacks in the state as defiant counters, revealing identification processes that undermine the denial of full recognition of blacks as citizens.
Racial differences in serum levels of adiponectin and leptin

A31 Obesity is an important modifiable risk factor for several cancer sites. The adipokines, including leptin and adiponectin, are a group of proteins produced in adipose tissue that have been associated with obesity and insulin regulation and are also associated with risk of breast, colorectal, endometrial, prostate, and other cancers. Racial disparities in cancer incidence and mortality are well documented as are racial differences in body size. Biomarkers of adiposity also may differ by race, providing a promising research approach to better understand the mechanisms linking obesity and cancer risk among people of different races. Serum levels of adiponectin and leptin were measured in a stratified random sample of 792 Southern Community Cohort Study participants using blood samples collected at study enrollment. These participants enrolled at community health centers across the southeastern United States between 2002 and 2004, were between the ages of 40 and 79, and self-reported their race as either white (N=396) or black (N=396). Cross-sectional analyses were employed to compare serum levels of log-transformed leptin and log-transformed adiponectin across gender and race groups, after adjusting for correlates of these markers using multiple linear regression models. Adjusted geometric mean leptin levels were similar between black and white men (4.45 v. 4.51 ng/ml, p=0.89) but were higher among black women compared to white women (17.44 v. 14.38 ng/ml, p=0.03). Adjusted geometric mean adiponectin levels were lower in both black men compared to white men (10.25 v. 14.37 ug/ml, p
Long-term survival following kidney transplantation in previous lung transplant recipients-An analysis of the unos registry.

BACKGROUND Kidney transplantation has been advocated as a therapeutic option in lung recipients who develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This analysis outlines patterns of allograft survival following kidney transplantation in previous lung recipients (KAL). METHODS Data from the UNOS lung and kidney transplantation registries (1987-2013) were cross-linked to identify lung recipients who were subsequently listed for and/or underwent kidney transplantation. Time-dependent Cox models compared the survival rates in KAL patients with those waitlisted for renal transplantation who never received kidneys. Survival analyses compared outcomes between KAL patients and risk-matched recipients of primary, kidney-only transplantation with no history of lung transplantation (KTx). RESULTS A total of 270 lung recipients subsequently underwent kidney transplantation (KAL). Regression models demonstrated a lower risk of post-listing mortality for KAL patients compared with 346 lung recipients on the kidney waitlist who never received kidneys (P<.05). Comparisons between matched KAL and KTx patients demonstrated significantly increased risk of death and graft loss (P<.05), but not death-censored graft loss, for KAL patients (P = .86). CONCLUSIONS KAL patients enjoy a significant survival benefit compared with waitlisted lung recipients who do not receive kidneys. However, KAL patients do poorly compared with KTx patients. Decisions about KAL transplantation must be made on a case-by-case basis considering patient and donor factors.
Emerging and investigational therapies for neuroblastoma

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Treatment for children with clinically aggressive, high-risk neuroblastoma remains challenging. Less than 50% of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma will survive long-term with current therapies, and survivors are at risk for serious treatment-related late toxicities. Here, we review new and evolving treatments that may ultimately improve outcome for children with high-risk neuroblastoma with decreased potential for late adverse events.Areas covered: New strategies for treating high-risk neuroblastoma are reviewed including: radiotherapy, targeted cytotoxics, biologics, immunotherapy, and molecularly targeted agents. Recently completed and ongoing neuroblastoma clinical trials testing these novel treatments are highlighted. In addition, we discuss ongoing clinical trials designed to evaluate precision medicine approaches that target actionable somatic mutations and oncogenic cellular pathways.Expert opinion: Advances in genomic medicine and molecular biology have led to the develop...
The thickness of the two-dimensional charge transfer state at the TTF-TCNQ interface

Abstract The properties of the interface between two materials can be significantly different to those of the constituents. One example is the tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) – 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) interface, in which the interface can be metallic even though both TTF and TCNQ are wide bandgap semiconductors. Despite of its potential applications, the mechanism of the interfacial conduction remains unclear. In this work, we use ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and electrical measurement to determine the physical nature of the interfacial charges and the spatial extent of this interfacial state. The charge transfer state that is responsible for the interfacial conductivity is found to be quite localized. It only extends ≈1–2 nm away from the interface. Moreover, the electron-hole pairs at the interface are bound by Coulomb interaction to form excitons. Ohmic behavior and orders of magnitude decrease in the sheet resistance are observed by merely depositing a 2.4 nm TCNQ layer on a bulk TTF single crystal. The ultrathin nature of this highly conductive state suggests that it can be incorporated readily into ultrathin or field-effect organic devices.
Does Food Assistance Improve Recipients' Dietary Diversity and Food Quality in Mozambique?

The University of Pretoria for providing a postgraduate bursary and the National Research Foundation (NRF) (grant numbers CPR20110706000020, 77053 and 80529).
“Your Pants Won’t Save You”: Why Black Youth Challenge Race-Based Police Surveillance and the Demands of Black Respectability Politics

The politics of â€œBlack Respectabilityâ€ foreground Black citizensâ€™ individual and collective responsibility to prioritize self-policing, polish, and propriety. Proponents believe that the steady performance of restraint and decorum is critical and that any departure from that repertoire can result in punishment. The belief that racially minoritized youth must earn respect and autonomy, rather than see those rights protected as a standard afforded to all community members, may not be widely held by younger Black people. The following study makes use of interview data collected from 23 Black Baltimore City millennials who shared their perspectives on the social and political contexts that led to Freddie Grayâ€™s death while in Baltimore Police custody. When discussing police officersâ€™ pursuit of citizens who match Freddie Grayâ€™s outward appearance, younger respondents resisted the demands of Black Respectability Politics and, instead, asserted their right to pass through their neighborhoods absent state-sancti...
The Role of Genetic Variation in CYP2R1, the Principal Vitamin D 25-Hydroxylase, in Vitamin D Homeostasis

Abstract Vitamin D is obtained from the diet and it is produced in the skin and it is transformed to the fully active hormone, calcitriol, via two sequential enzymatic hydroxylations. The first step, 25-hydroxylation, occurs principally in the liver by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme CYP2R1. In the second step, 25(OH)D is converted to calcitriol in the kidney by the 1-α hydroxylase CYP27B1 in a tightly regulated process that is dependent on parathyroid hormone. In this chapter, we provide an overview of how variation in the CYP2R1 gene can affect vitamin D homeostasis. Rare loss-of-function mutations in CYP2R1 lead, when homozygous, to markedly reduced serum levels of 25(OH)D and vitamin D-dependent rickets 1B, and when heterozygous, to a milder form of vitamin D deficiency characterized by low serum levels of 25(OH)D and decreased responsiveness to calciferols. By contrast, polymorphisms in CYP2R1 are common in the normal population, and they may contribute to the variability between individuals in serum levels of 25(OH)D and in responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation.
Production of Transgenic Poultry

The application of transgenic technology to economically important species of livestock, poultry, and fish is expanding in animal agriculture. From a poultry perspective, the value of broilers, eggs, and turkeys in the United States was $38 billion. Given the huge economic worth of the commercial poultry industry, interest in genetic engineering of the chicken remains strong. The goal for gene transfer for commercial stocks is simply to develop genetically better birds for the production of meat and eggs, which has been the same purpose of conventional selection programs for the past 50 years. In addition to the obvious applications in agriculture, the domestic laying hen is being viewed as dual-purpose research animal with other applications in developmental biology, biomedicine, and biomanufacturing. Hence, transgenic technology in poultry can influence entirely new industries outside of agriculture.
Treatment of Superficial Papillary Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Ureter by Vesicoureteral Reflux of Mitomycin C

AbstractWe report 2 cases of recurrent superficial papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder with right vesicoureteral reflux in which superficial papillary transitional cell carcinoma developed in the distal ureter with reflux. Both patients received intravesical mitomycin C that was delivered by the vesicoureteral reflux to the tumor sites. Diagnosis and management were facilitated through the use of ureteroscopy, which allowed for accurate pathological staging and surveillance. No systemic toxicity or change in renal function was noted in either patient and both have remained free of recurrent tumor for more than 2 years.
Pregnancy and Postpartum-Related Pain

The childbearing period is a time of remarkable reproductive and musculoskeletal change. Traditionally, women have been advised by both health care providers and other women that pain is a “normal” consequence of this life experience and a hardship that is simply a rite of passage into motherhood. The evidence, however, suggests otherwise. Pain in pregnancy for many women can be disabling and can lead to chronic symptoms if left untreated. The purpose of this chapter is to elucidate the prevalence, etiology, diagnostic strategies, and effective treatments for pain-related diagnoses in pregnancy and postpartum. Particular attention will be given to lumbopelvic pain, the most common pregnancy-related musculoskeletal complaint.
Putting Sparkle into Soda-Club's European Partnerships

Daniel Birnbaum, new CEO of Soda-Club, has taken charge of a company with significant market penetration, brand equity, and revenues in certain European markets. The company is also plagued with hostile relationships with major distributors. He needs to decide how to turn the situation around and create opportunity out of crisis.
An Interactive Tutorial on Simulated Pharmacogenomic Clinical Trials

The clinical trial framework for translating scientific evidence to the bedside remains largely unchanged, despite decades' long push towards precision medicine. This tutorial elaborates and demonstrates a new approach to enhance clinical trial design using electronic health records combined with computer simulation. We elucidate a design for clinical trials based around patient-centered outcomes. Instead of crafting an ideal and technically sophisticated simulation platform and then applying it to clinical needs, patient-centered outcome design gives primacy to the dissemination and implementation of the potential evidence generated by the study. This method implies the creation of a virtual sandbox where clinicians and investigators can compare various clinical outcomes across diverse patient populations to support the most efficient and effective clinical trial design. The goal of tutorial is to share the lessons learned during development of a simulation platform to run pharmacogenomic-based anticoagulation clinical trials, including data mining from electronic health records (EHRs), the limitations of simulation results, testing and validation and lastly dissemination of results through living papers.
FACTOR CROWDING AND LIQUIDITY EXHAUSTION

Well‐known anomalies and stable patterns in equity returns are widely employed to guide stock selection. The use of overlapping multifactor models built on these patterns induces correlated trade across investors. A stock with a strong signal from a parsimonious multifactor stock selection model exhibits changes in trade activity, net order imbalances, lower volatility, lower liquidity level, and changes in liquidity comovement consistent with correlated trade. These results illustrate that correlated trading among investors can affect the liquidity and risk of the securities they trade, and imply that measures of portfolio liquidity risk that ignore these changes can understate risk.
Natural language processing of symptoms documented in free-text narratives of electronic health records: a systematic review

Objective Natural language processing (NLP) of symptoms from electronic health records (EHRs) could contribute to the advancement of symptom science. We aim to synthesize the literature on the use of NLP to process or analyze symptom information documented in EHR free-text narratives. Materials and methods Our search of 1964 records from PubMed and EMBASE was narrowed to 27 eligible articles. Data related to the purpose, free-text corpus, patients, symptoms, NLP methodology, evaluation metrics, and quality indicators were extracted for each study. Results Symptom-related information was presented as a primary outcome in 14 studies. EHR narratives represented various inpatient and outpatient clinical specialties, with general, cardiology, and mental health occurring most frequently. Studies encompassed a wide variety of symptoms, including shortness of breath, pain, nausea, dizziness, disturbed sleep, constipation, and depressed mood. NLP approaches included previously developed NLP tools, classification methods, and manually curated rule-based processing. Only one-third (n = 9) of studies reported patient demographic characteristics. Discussion NLP is used to extract information from EHR free-text narratives written by a variety of healthcare providers on an expansive range of symptoms across diverse clinical specialties. The current focus of this field is on the development of methods to extract symptom information and the use of symptom information for disease classification tasks rather than the examination of symptoms themselves. Conclusion Future NLP studies should concentrate on the investigation of symptoms and symptom documentation in EHR free-text narratives. Efforts should be undertaken to examine patient characteristics and make symptom-related NLP algorithms or pipelines and vocabularies openly available.
Environmental and occupational impacts from U.S. beef slaughtering are of same magnitude of beef foodborne illnesses on human health

Foodborne pathogens and occupational hazards are two primary safety concerns for U.S. beef slaughterhouses. The anthropogenic environmental impacts due to intensive resource use and pollution also exert threats to human health. Quantifying human health impacts from various sources remain a grand sustainability challenge for U.S. beef industry. We develop a framework to systematically estimate and compare human health impacts associated with U.S. beef foodborne illnesses from major pathogens and environmental impacts and occupational hazards from U.S. beef slaughtering on a common metric, disability-adjusted life year (DALY). Foodborne illnesses and occupational hazards are estimated by synthesizing published data and methodologies while environmental impacts are quantified using life cycle assessment. In spite of inherent uncertainties in estimation, results show that the environmental impacts and occupational hazards from beef slaughtering are of same magnitude with foodborne illnesses from beef consumption on human health. Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens contribute 51% and 28%, respectively, to the beef foodborne DALY; Global warming and fine particulate matter formation, due to electricity and natural gas use, are primary drivers for environmental DALY, accounting 62% and 28%, respectively. Occupational DALY is on average lower than environmental DALY from beef slaughtering and foodborne DALY. The impact of new food safety interventions that use additional resources to improve food safety should be considered jointly with environmental impacts and occupational hazards to avoid unintended shifts and net increase of human health impacts. The methodology and results from this study provide a new perspective on reforms of the U.S. food safety regulations building toward sustainability in the food processing industry.
Spatially Resolved Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy of Tumor and Normal Excised Human Colon with Thin Film Si Sensors

Spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of normal and cancerous ex-vivo human colon tissue using a thin film Si photodiode array sensor is presented as a step toward the realization of in-vivo endoscopic spectral tissue characterization.
Factors contributing to the recovery of monosyllabic words excerpted from natural speech

Abstract: Words isolated from running speech have been found to be less intelligible than when they appear in the context of a sentence or phrase. Although auditory context, in general, provides additional information, the role of the immediately adjacent acoustic cues is unknown. In this investigation two adult males read in a comfortable manner 16 paragraphs from which a target sentence and a target word (CVC or CVCC) were excised. The words preceding and following each target word were selected so that the initial and final consonant were bounded by a shwa vowel. The intelligibility of the target word was essentially unaffected by the inclusion of the neighboring shwa vowels and only moderately increased by the inclusion of the immediately preceding and following words. Errors in intelligibility were ordered as follows: final consonant, vowel and initial consonant. It was concluded that tempo and spectral normalization, and linguistic expectancy disambiguate words which are initiated and terminated by obstruents and bounded by a vowel.
American Urogynecologic Society Systematic Review: The Impact of Weight Loss Intervention on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Urinary Incontinence in Overweight and Obese Women.

Objective Obesity can contribute to urinary symptoms such as urgency, frequency, and incontinence. In addition to classic treatments, weight loss interventions offer a unique clinical opportunity to improve these symptoms. Study design The American Urogynecologic Society Systematic Review Group conducted a review of articles on the impact of surgical and behavioral weight loss (BWL) interventions on urinary symptoms in overweight and obese women. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria. Results The review group identified 43 publications from 39 studies, including 10 reports that used data from 5 randomized trials. Overall, there is high-certainty evidence that BWL, such as diet and exercise, decreases the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence 15% to 18% and overall urinary incontinence (UI) by 12% to 17% at 1 to 2.9 years. The certainty of evidence on the long-term impact of these interventions was lower. The certainty of the evidence was moderate to low regarding the benefit of BWL on urgency UI and overactive bladder symptoms. No randomized trials evaluated the impact of surgical weight loss on urinary symptoms, and the certainty of evidence of other study types was very low. Conclusions There is high-certainty evidence that BWL results in modest improvements in stress and overall UI in overweight and obese women at 1 to 2.9 years after the intervention. Robust studies with low risk of bias are needed to assess whether these benefits are maintained over the long term and are associated with adverse events and to assess the impact of surgical weight loss interventions on urinary outcomes in overweight and obese women.