cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Error-Free Operation of an All-Silicon Waveguide Photodiode at 1.9 $\mu{\rm m}$

Error-free detection at 1 Gb/s is experimentally demonstrated with an all-Si ion-implanted p-i-n waveguide photodetector operating at 1.9 μm, and the receiver sensitivity is measured. The responsivity of the device is compared between operation at 1.9 and 1.55 μm, and a 5 dB drop in responsivity is observed. Simulations show that nearly 25% of this drop is due to the lower confinement of the 1.9 μm wavelength. Theoretical analysis of the waveguide structure optimized for operation at 1.9 μm shows that data rates of 10 Gb/s are possible with a loss in sensitivity of only 3 dB compared with operation at 1.55 μm.
Comparing Solar Minimum 23/24 with Historical Solar Wind Records at 1 AU

Based on the variations of sunspot numbers, we choose a 1-year interval at each solar minimum from the beginning of the acquisition of solar wind measurements in the ecliptic plane and at 1 AU. We take the period of July 2008 - June 2009 to represent the solar minimum between Solar Cycles 23 and 24. In comparison with the previous three minima, this solar minimum has the slowest, least dense, and coolest solar wind, and the weakest magnetic field. As a result, the solar wind dynamic pressure, dawn-dusk electric field, and geomagnetic activity during this minimum are the weakest among the four min- ima. The weakening trend had already appeared during solar minimum 22/23, and it may continue into the next solar minimum. During this minimum, the galactic cosmic ray inten- sity reached the highest level in the space age, while the number of solar energetic proton events and the ground level enhancement events were the least. Using solar wind measure- ments near the Earth over 1995 - 2009, we have surveyed and characterized the large-scale solar wind structures, including fast-slow stream interaction regions (SIRs), interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), and interplanetary shocks. Their solar cycle variations over the 15 years are studied comprehensively. In contrast with the previous minimum, we find that there are more SIRs and they recur more often during this minimum, probably because more low- and mid-latitude coronal holes and active regions emerged due to the weaker so- lar polar field than during the previous minimum. There are more shocks during this solar minimum, probably caused by the slower fast magnetosonic speed of the solar wind. The SIRs, ICMEs, and shocks during this minimum are generally weaker than during the pre- vious minimum, but did not change as much as did the properties of the undisturbed solar wind.
Retail Meat Managers' Profitability Expectations for Irradiated Red Meats

Abstract This paper uses data from 40 personal interviews with meat department managers at grocery stores and supermarkets to investigate managers' expectations regarding the profitability potential of irradiated red meats. The study models managers' profitability expectations as a function of attributes and factors such as the meat manager's or store's characteristics, how familiar the meat manager is with irradiation, and opinions held by the manager regarding irradiation's benefits and consumer acceptance.
Dandyism and Masculinity in Art Deco Hollywood

A dandified hero emerged in Hollywood during the late 1920s and 1930s. Contrary to most representations of aesthetes in American popular culture, this version was a masculine ideal in the highly designed universe of popular Art Deco movies. His "classlessness," coupled with his imperatives of leisure and consumption, made him a timely hero in Depression America.
Should adults with type 2 diabetes be screened for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Diabetes mellitus is associated with greater risks for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Multiple noninvasive screening tools for CVD including cardiac CT, carotid intima-media thickness test, myocardial perfusion imaging have been examined in those with diabetes, but the prognostic value of these tests vary and issues remain regarding their cost-benefit ratios, potential harms of radiation, and how they fit into screening algorithms for CVD. We discuss in this report the needs and criteria for screening tests and summarize the evidence from observational studies and clinical trials. We also explore whether there should be more sensitive screening modalities to better detect both short and long-term cardiovascular risk among asymptomatic patients with diabetes.
Auger recombination in long-wave infrared InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattices

The Auger lifetime is a critical intrinsic parameter for infrared photodetectors as it determines the longest potential minority carrier lifetime and consequently the fundamental limitations to their performance. Here, Auger recombination is characterized in a long-wave infrared InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattice. Auger coefficients as small as 7.1×10−26 cm6/s are experimentally measured using carrier lifetime data at temperatures in the range of 20 K–80 K. The data are compared to Auger-1 coefficients predicted using a 14-band K·p electronic structure model and to coefficients calculated for HgCdTe of the same bandgap. The experimental superlattice Auger coefficients are found to be an order-of-magnitude smaller than HgCdTe.
A Two-Step Model for Assessing Relative Interest in E-books Compared to Print

Librarians often wish to know whether readers in a particular discipline favor e-books or print books. Because print circulation and e-book usage statistics are not directly comparable, it can be hard to determine the relative interest of readers in the two types of books. This study demonstrates a two-step method by which librarians can assess the appeal of books in various formats. First, a nominal assessment of use or nonuse is performed; this eliminates the difficulty of comparing print circulation to e-book usage statistics. Then, the comparison of actual use to Percentage of Expected Use (PEU) is made. By examining the distance between PEU of e-books to PEU of print books in a discipline, librarians can determine whether patrons have a strong preference for one format over another.
Comparison of outcomes of patients with inpatient or outpatient onset ischemic stroke.

Background Reperfusion times for ischemic stroke occurring in the outpatient setting have improved significantly in recent years. However, quality improvement efforts have largely ignored ischemic stroke occurring in patients hospitalized for unrelated indications. Methods We performed a cohort study involving patients with ischemic stroke (with inpatient or outpatient onset) from 2009 to 2013 who were registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database. A propensity score-adjusted regression analysis was used to assess the association of location of onset and outcomes. Mixed effects methods were employed to control for clustering at the hospital level. Results Of the 176 571 ischemic strokes, 160 157 (90.7%) occurred outside of a hospital and 16 414 (9.3%) occurred in patients hospitalized for unrelated indications. Using a logistic regression model with propensity score adjustment, we demonstrated that inpatient stroke onset was associated with increased inpatient mortality (OR 3.09; 95% CI 2.81 to 3.38), rate of discharge to rehabilitation (OR 2.57; 95% CI 2.37 to 2.79), and length of stay (LOS) (β=11.58; 95% CI 10.73 to 12.42). In addition, it was associated with lower odds (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.77) of undergoing stroke-related interventions (mechanical thrombectomy and intravenous tissue plasminogen activator) compared with outpatient stroke onset. Conclusions Using a comprehensive all-payer cohort of patients with ischemic stroke in New York State, we identified an association of inpatient stroke onset with fewer stroke-related interventions and increased mortality, rate of discharge to rehabilitation, and LOS.
Ferrous iron content of intravenous iron formulations

The observed biological differences in safety and efficacy of intravenous (IV) iron formulations are attributable to physicochemical differences. In addition to differences in carbohydrate shell, polarographic signatures due to ferric iron [Fe(III)] and ferrous iron [Fe(II)] differ among IV iron formulations. Intravenous iron contains Fe(II) and releases labile iron in the circulation. Fe(II) generates toxic free radicals and reactive oxygen species and binds to bacterial siderophores and other in vivo sequestering agents. To evaluate whether differences in Fe(II) content may account for some observed biological differences between IV iron formulations, samples from multiple lots of various IV iron formulations were dissolved in 12 M concentrated HCl to dissociate and release all iron and then diluted with water to achieve 0.1 M HCl concentration. Fe(II) was then directly measured using ferrozine reagent and ultraviolet spectroscopy at 562 nm. Total iron content was measured by adding an excess of ascorbic acid to reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II), and Fe(II) was then measured by ferrozine assay. The Fe(II) concentration as a proportion of total iron content [Fe(III) + Fe(II)] in different lots of IV iron formulations was as follows: iron gluconate, 1.4 and 1.8 %; ferumoxytol, 0.26 %; ferric carboxymaltose, 1.4 %; iron dextran, 0.8 %; and iron sucrose, 10.2, 15.5, and 11.0 % (average, 12.2 %). The average Fe(II) content in iron sucrose was, therefore, ≥7.5-fold higher than in the other IV iron formulations. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between Fe(II) content and increased risk of oxidative stress and infections with iron sucrose.
Computational modeling of transport limitations in li-air batteries

In this paper we investigate transport limitations in the electrodes of lithium-air batteries through computational modeling. We use meso-scale models to consider the effects of dendrites on the current and potential at the anode surface, and to investigate the effects of reaction and transport parameters on the formation of precipitates in the cathode. The formation of dendrites on the anode surface during cycling reduces the transport of ions and can lead to short circuits in the cell. Growth of precipitates in the cathode reduces the specific capacity of the cell due to surface passivation and pore clogging. Both of these degradation mechanisms depend on meso-scale phenomena, such as the pore-scale reactive transport in the cathode. To understand the effects of the meso-scale transport and precipitation on the performance and lifetime of Li-air batteries, meso-scale modeling is needed that is able to resolve the electrodes and their microstructures.
Lipid-mediated protein functionalization of electrospun polycaprolactone fibers

In this study, electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers are plasma-treated and chemically conjugated with cholesteryl succinyl silane (CSS). In addition to Raman spectroscopy, an immobilization study of DiO as a fluorescent probe of lipid membranes provides evidence supporting the CSS coating of plasma-treated PCL fibers. Further, anti-CD20 antibodies are used as a model protein to evaluate the potential of lipid-mediated protein immobilization as a mechanism to functionalize the CSS-PCL fiber scaffolds. Upon anti-CD20 functionalization, the CSS-PCL fiber scaffolds capture Granta-22 cells 2.4 times more than the PCL control does, although the two fiber scaffolds immobilize a comparable amount of anti-CD20. Taken together, results from the present study demonstrate that the CSS coating and CSS-mediated antibody immobilization offers an appealing strategy to functionalize electrospun synthetic polymer fibers and confer cell-specific functions on the fiber scaffolds, which can be mechanically robust but often lack biological functions.
Understanding Why Quality Initiatives Succeed or Fail: A Sociotechnical Systems Perspective.

Efforts to implement quality improvements in surgery are notoriously problematic.1,2 One needs to look no farther than recent attempts to implement checklists, team training, and surgical briefings. These interventions have been empirically shown to improve team communication and performance.3,4 Yet
A Case Study of Like Product in MFN Treatment

The issue of like product in MFN plays a key role in defining MFN treatment. However, hitherto, no clear-cut definition has come up in GATT. Thus, cases in GATT have to be examined to develop an understanding thereof. This paper examines certain landmark cases to find that there is no a well-received definition. However, the physical properties and end uses and tariff classifications are among the important attributes of like product.
A Tale of Two Governors: Regime Politics and State Courts

This paper explores the application of regime politics approaches to state constitutional politics. I examine two case studies of assaults on state judicial power: the 1935 judicial purge in Rhode Island and Chris Christie’s court packing in New Jersey today. Attention is focused on the context, successes, and difficulties both assaults faced. I offer some preliminary observations of the value of comparative state studies with particular attention on the consideration of relative institutional legitimacy in explaining the successes of assaults on judicial power.
Cello scrotum, 1974-2009: history of a medical hoax.

UNLABELLED News services recently broke the story of a medical hoax perpetrated through the literature involving purported urological symptoms of cellists, referred to as "cello scrotum". The background of this affair was researched in order to place it in an historical perspective. METHODS The originators of the hoax were interviewed. Literature and internet searches were performed to sift fact from fiction. RESULTS "Cello scrotum" was a descendant of some very legitimate musicians' maladies, which have been described over the past three centuries. From 1974, when it was first described, until 2009, when it was officially retracted, "cello scrotum" approached the status of an urban legend. CONCLUSIONS The "cello scrotum" affair should not detract from the very real medical ailments of serious musicians. The entire subspecialty of performance medicine has evolved to treat patients with these concerns.
Network Analysis Reveals Sex- and Antibiotic Resistance-Associated Antivirulence Targets in Clinical Uropathogens

Increasing antibiotic resistance among uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is driving interest in therapeutic targeting of nonconserved virulence factor (VF) genes. The ability to formulate efficacious combinations of antivirulence agents requires an improved understanding of how UPEC deploy these genes. To identify clinically relevant VF combinations, we applied contemporary network analysis and biclustering algorithms to VF profiles from a large, previously characterized inpatient clinical cohort. These mathematical approaches identified four stereotypical VF combinations with distinctive relationships to antibiotic resistance and patient sex that are independent of traditional phylogenetic grouping. Targeting resistance- or sex-associated VFs based upon these contemporary mathematical approaches may facilitate individualized anti-infective therapies and identify synergistic VF combinations in bacterial pathogens.
Glycerol production and utilization in humans: sites and quantitation

Liver is assumed to be the major site of glycerol uptake and fatty acid reesterification. [U-13C]glycerol was infused into ten 60 h-fasted healthy subjects. Measured were 1) blood glycerol concentrations and 13C enrichments in brachial and pulmonary arteries and in hepatic, renal, superficial, and deep forearm veins; 2) glycerol appearance rates in systemic circulation; and 3) splanchnic bed and kidney glycerol uptakes with use of balance and tracer methodology. Glycerol concentrations were one-fifth in hepatic, one-half in renal, 40% more in superficial, and the same in deep vein and pulmonary artery as in brachial artery blood. Glycerol enrichments were one-fifth in hepatic, two-thirds to three-quarters in renal and superficial veins, and the same in pulmonary as in brachial artery blood. Splanchnic glycerol uptake was 29% and kidney glycerol uptake was 17% of glycerol's rate of appearance, 5.11 mumol.min-1.kg-1. Splanchnic fatty acid uptake was 25% of calculated fatty acid release. Glycerol contributed 15% to glucose production. Most of the [13C]glycerol uptake by splanchnic bed and kidneys was incorporated into glucose. Thus, in 60 h-fasted individuals, most glycerol uptake does not occur in liver, and the extent of fatty acid reesterification in liver is in doubt.
MYB expression: Potential role in separating adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) from pleomorphic adenoma (PA).

Background Basaloid tumors of the salivary gland both benign and malignant comprise ACC, cellular PA, basal cell adenoma (BCA), and basal cell adenocarcinoma. Rendering a diagnosis given a limited biopsy or fine needle aspiration (FNA) sample proves challenging. Activation of MYB by gene fusion has been found in salivary gland ACCs; therefore we investigated the utility of MYB immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a tool for distinguishing ACCs from other basaloid neoplasms. Methods We selected 48 cases of ACC (11 FNA blocks [CB]), 37 histologic resections [HR]), 74 PA (36 CB, 38 HR), and 18 BCA (7 CB, 11 HR). FNA CB showed 82% of ACCs (N = 9 of 11) as positive for MYB nuclear staining whereas 68% of ACCs (N = 25 of 37) were positive in HR. Results All PA were negative for MYB nuclear staining in both CB (N = 0 of 36) and HR (N = 0 of 38). CB showed 29% of BCA (N = 2 of 7) as positive for MYB nuclear staining and 55% (N = 6 of 11) positive in HR. Both ACC and BCA showed significantly higher mean staining intensity than PA in both CB and HR (P < 0.0001). When comparing ACC and BCA, significantly higher mean staining intensity was observed in CB (P = 0.02382) but not in HR (P = 0.42952). Conclusion MYB nuclear staining may prove useful in separating ACC from PA and BCA, especially in limited cellular samples. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:799–804. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clustering Segregation with Ultraviolet Luminosity in Lyman Break Galaxies at z~3 and Its Implications*

We report on the clustering properties of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z ~ 3. The correlation length of flux-limited samples of LBGs depends on their rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosity at λ ~ 1700 A, with fainter galaxies being less strongly clustered in space. We have used three samples with progressively fainter flux limits: two extracted from our ground-based survey and one from the Hubble Deep Fields (both North and South). The correlation length decreases by a factor of ≈3 over the range of limiting magnitudes that we have probed, namely, 25 27, suggesting that samples with a fainter UV luminosity limit include galaxies with smaller mass. We have compared the observed scaling properties of the clustering strength with those predicted for cold dark matter (CDM) halos and found that (1) the clustering strength of LBGs follows, within the errors, the same scaling law with the volume density as the halos; and (2) the scaling law predicted for the galaxies using the halo mass spectrum and a number of models for the relationship that maps the halos' mass into the galaxies' UV luminosity depends only on how tightly mass and UV luminosity correlate but is otherwise insensitive to the details of the models. We interpret these results as additional evidence that the strong spatial clustering of LBGs is due to galaxy biasing, supporting the theory of biased galaxy formation and gravitational instability as the primary physical mechanism for the formation of structure. We have also fitted models of the mass-UV luminosity relationship to the data to reproduce simultaneously from the CDM halo mass spectrum the dependence of the correlation length with the UV luminosity and the luminosity function. We have found that (1) a scale invariant relationship between mass and UV luminosity (e.g., a power law) is not supported by the observations, suggesting that the properties of star formation of galaxies change along the mass spectrum of the observed LBGs; (2) the scatter of the UV luminosity of LBGs of given mass must be relatively small for massive LBGs, suggesting that the mass is an important parameter in regulating the activity of star formation in these systems; and (3) the fraction of massive halos at z ~ 3 that are not observed in UV-selected surveys is not large. From the fits, for a given choice of the cosmology, one can assign a scale of mass to the LBGs. For example, if Ω = 0.3 and ΩΛ = 0.7, the average mass of galaxies with luminosity = 23, 25.5, and 27.0 is = 2.5, 0.9, and 0.4 × 1012 M☉, respectively. The numbers are ≈2 times larger and ≈10 times smaller in an open universe with Ω = 0.2 and ΩΛ = 0 and in the Einstein-de Sitter cosmologies, respectively.
What Does Depression Mean for Korean American Elderly?: A Qualitative Follow-Up Study.

OBJECTIVE Korean American Elderly (KAE) have high rates of depression but underuse mental health services. The purpose of this study was to assess the meaning of depression and help seeking among KAE residing in the United States who have clinically significant depressive symptoms. METHODS As a follow up to the Memory and Aging Study of Koreans (MASK; n=1,118), a descriptive epidemiological study which showed that only one in four of KAE with clinically significant depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9≥10) used mental health services, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with participants with clinically significant depressive symptoms regarding the meaning of depression and beliefs about help seeking. Ten participants with clinically significant depressive symptoms were approached and 8 were recruited for semi-structured interviews. RESULTS KAE did not identify themselves as depressed though experiencing clinically significant depressive symptoms. They associated depression with social discrimination, social isolation, and suicide in the extreme circumstance. They attributed depression to not achieving social and material success in America and strained relationships with their children. Participants attempted to self-manage distress without telling others in their social network. However, KAE were willing to consult with mental health professionals if the services were bilingual, affordable, and confidential. CONCLUSION KAE with clinically significant depressive symptoms are a vulnerable group with need and desire for linguistically and culturally relevant mental health services who are isolated due to a complex array of psychological and social factors.
Identification and Management of Head and Neck Cancer Recurrences Detected on Adjuvant Radiation Oncology Simulation Scans.

BACKGROUND/AIM Computerized tomographic (CT) simulation is used to design precise radiation therapy treatment plans. These scans are not routinely read by radiology and are only used for planning purposes. As radiation oncology departments adopt the addition of intravenous contrast to their CT simulations, there is the potential for identification of post-surgical recurrences. PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified all biopsy-proven local recurrences of head and neck cancer detected during CT simulation and followed their outcomes. RESULTS A total of 218 patients with head and neck cancer underwent CT simulation with intravenous contrast since our Department adopted the new technique. There were a total of four recurrences detected during simulation: two of the right tongue, one oral cavity and one laryngeal. Intensified salvage chemoradiotherapy was used for these cases. Two out of the four were successfully salvaged and remain disease-free. CONCLUSION Recurrences of head and neck cancer following surgical resection can be detected on simulation scans, with the potential for survival after appropriate salvage therapy.
High efficiency hydrodynamic bacterial electrotransformation

Synthetic biology holds great potential for addressing pressing challenges for mankind and our planet. One technical challenge in tapping into the full potential of synthetic biology is the low efficiency and low throughput of genetic transformation for many types of cells. In this paper, we discuss a novel microfluidic system for improving bacterial electrotransformation efficiency and throughput. Our microfluidic system is comprised of non-uniform constrictions in microchannels to facilitate high electric fields with relatively small applied voltages to induce electroporation. Additionally, the microfluidic device has regions of low electric field to assist in electrophoretic transport of nucleic acids into the cells. The device features hydrodynamically controlled electric fields that allow cells to experience a time dependent electric field that is otherwise difficult to achieve using standard electronics. Results suggest that transformation efficiency can be increased by ∼4×, while throughput can increase by 100–1000× compared to traditional electroporation cuvettes. This work will enable high-throughput and high efficiency genetic transformation of microbes, facilitating accelerated development of genetically engineered organisms.
La telemedicina nella medicina respiratoria

Telemedicina. Che cos’e? Chi la utilizza? Quando puo servire? Dove e stata impiegata? Perche e importante? Come puo fare la differenza nell’assistenza domiciliare a lungo termine? Puo migliorare l’accesso all’assistenza specialistica, con vantaggi per la salute e con l’eliminazione delle disparita? Questi e altri interrogativi possono agitarsi nella mente del lettore. In questo capitolo tenteremo di illustrare la “telemedicina” partendo da vari punti di vista e per diverse finalita. Presenteremo una sommaria rassegna di alcuni casi d’impiego domiciliare del recente passato per la medicina respiratoria e poi forniremo testimonianze sulle esperienze in corso. Per comprendere lo scenario di domani, descriveremo le odierne tendenze generali da un punto di vista globale. Poi si prospettera lo scenario piu auspicabile (la visione futura) che giustifichi un’accettazione e un’utilizzazione piu generale della telemedicina nell’assistenza ai pazienti, nell’erogazione di servizi e nella formazione di operatori sanitari e pazienti, tesa a favorire le comunicazioni, la collaborazione e la relazione tra pazienti e medici.
Adaptive 360-degree video streaming using layered video coding

Virtual reality and 360-degree video streaming are growing rapidly; however, streaming 360-degree video is very challenging due to high bandwidth requirements. To address this problem, the video quality is adjusted according to the user viewport prediction. High quality video is only streamed for the user viewport, reducing the overall bandwidth consumption. Existing solutions use shallow buffers limited by the accuracy of viewport prediction. Therefore, playback is prone to video freezes which are very destructive for the Quality of Experience(QoE). We propose using layered encoding for 360-degree video to improve QoE by reducing the probability of video freezes and the latency of response to the user head movements. Moreover, this scheme reduces the storage requirements significantly and improves in-network cache performance.
A Mathematical Analysis of Network Controllability Through Driver Nodes

A May 2011 Nature article by Liu, Slotine, and Barabasi laid a mathematical foundation for analyzing network controllability of self-organizing networks and how to identify the minimum number of nodes needed to control a network, or driver nodes. In this paper, we continue to explore this topic, beginning with a look at how Laplacian eigenvalues relate to the percentage of nodes required to control a network. Next, we define and analyze super driver nodes, or those driver nodes that survive graph randomization. Finally, we examine node properties to differentiate super driver nodes from other types of nodes in a graph.
In the Shadow of the past Political Learning and Boom-Time Restraint in Evo Morales's Bolivia (2006-2013)

This paper seeks to explain why the government of Evo Morales exhibited significant economic restraint during the commodity boom. Frequently put into the same “radical left” category as Hugo Chavez and Rafael Correa, Morales was elected as a populist outsider in the context of a collapsed party system and with the promise to undo the neoliberal model. Yet – and while challenging both economic orthodoxy and tenets of liberal democracy – Morales displayed significant fiscal discipline, producing consistent surpluses and receiving repeated praise by the IMF. This paper argues that Morales’s relative restraint to a large extent was rooted in political learning on the basis of the collapse of Bolivia’s last left government amid a hyperinflationary crisis in the 1980s. From this experience Morales and his inner circle drew the conclusion that a left political project only is viable if macroeconomic stability is maintained and that it requires a level of fiscal discipline. Three factors were particularly important in generating lasting learning: (1) the close association between hyperinflation and the collapse of a left government, (2) Morales gradual ascent to power, and (3) the way left opposition was constructed during the period of market-oriented reforms. The paper also provides a novel definition of the concept of political learning, defines a set of benchmarks for examining its importance, and identifies three generalizable factors making lasting learning more likely.
Novel nanosensing technologies for exosome detection and profiling

Exosomes have recently emerged as highly promising cancer biomarkers because they are abundant in biofluids, carry proteins and RNA reflecting their originating cells and are stable over weeks. Beyond abundance and stability, detailed exosome analyses could be clinically useful for diagnosing and profiling cancers. Despite their clinical potential, simple, reliable and sensitive approaches for rapidly quantifying exosomes and their molecular information has been challenging. Therefore, there is a clear need to develop next-generation sensing technologies for exosome detection and analysis. In this critical review, we will describe three nanotechnology sensing platforms developed for analysis of exosomal proteins and RNAs directly from clinical specimens and discuss future development to facilitate their translation into routine clinical use.
Imaging in Uveitis: Spectral Domain and Enhanced Depth Imaging Ocular Coherence Tomography

Ocular coherence tomography (OCT) is one of the most ubiquitous technologies utilized to analyze the posterior segment. It is a non-contact, real-time, imaging technology that generates cross-sectional images of the retina and choroid. OCT is particularly well suited to diagnose and manage posterior uveitides as demonstrated in this chapter by case examples of punctate inner choroidopathy, serpiginous choroiditis, multifocal choroiditis, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, and multiple evanescent white dot syndrome.
Trends in transfusion rates after the FOCUS trial.

Aim We estimate the impact of the FOCUS trial, which concluded that hip surgery patients with hemoglobin values above 8 g/dl do not benefit from routine transfusions, on transfusion rates. Methods We evaluated trends in transfusion rates using inpatient discharge data from four states. Results The transfusion rate was 5.2 percentage points lower in the fourth quarter of 2013 than it would have been had pre-FOCUS trends continued. Transfusion rates declined more in hospitals with a low end-of-life treatment intensity index, a general measure of treatment intensity. Conclusion The FOCUS trial affected practice, but there are additional opportunities to reduce the use of transfusions.
Material flows: patriarchal structures and the menstruating teacher

In recent educational discourse, public schools can be seen as sites of feminine power, as the majority of teachers are female and some gains have been made in girls’ school achievement. However, s...
The Emergence of Forgiveness in Young Children.

Humans depend greatly on our cooperative relationships. Thus, when our relationships are damaged by transgressions, they need to be repaired. Such repair requires that the transgressor show remorse and the victim forgive. Previous research demonstrates that as transgressors, young children show remorse and attempt to repair the harm they caused. However, it remains unclear when children, as victims, forgive remorseful transgressors. In Study 1, 5-, but not 4-year-olds, (n = 20 each) were more forgiving of a remorseful transgressor (who did not explicitly apologize) than an unremorseful transgressor. In Study 2, 4-year-olds (n = 20) were more forgiving of an apologetic than unapologetic transgressor. Thus, from early in ontogeny, humans are motivated to repair damaged relationships and thus uphold cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Eliminating Child Labour in Rural Areas: Limits of Community-Based Approaches in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire

In September 2000, the British broadcast BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/946952.stm) presented a provocative documentary “The Bitter Taste of Slavery” on children slavery in cocoa farms in West Africa.
Reinforcement learning for decentralized planning under uncertainty

Decentralized partially-observable Markov decision processes (Dec-POMDPs) are a powerful tool for modeling multi-agent planning and decision-making under uncertainty. Prevalent Dec-POMDP solution techniques require centralized computation given full knowledge of the underlying model. But in real world scenarios, model parameters may not be known a priori, or may be difficult to specify. We propose to address these limitations with distributed reinforcement learning (RL).
Identification of new cancer/testis antigens in non-small cell lung cancer (165.16)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both genders worldwide. The incidence is only second to prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. The lethality of the disease highlights the urgent need for innovative therapeutic options. Immunotherapy can afford efficient and specific targeting of tumor cells, reducing the need for invasive conventional treatments. We have previously reported the aberrant expression of cancer/testis antigens (CTA) in multiple myeloma and ovarian cancer. Here, we show that the CTA, SP17, AKAP-4 and PTTG-1 are aberrantly expressed in lung cancer cell lines and primary cells from patients by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Our results provide for the first time that CTA/SP17-AKAP-4-PTTG-1 are expressed and are highly immunogenic in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Further work is warranted to develop CTA tailored immunotherapeutic strategies for non-small cell lung cancer.
The Teacher of Religion: Choosing Between Professions in Catholic Schools

When Catholic schools hire teachers of religion, it is sometimes the case that the hirer and the hired may not be on the same page. Both may be under false assumptions with regard to the nature of the work. Teaching religion in Catholic schools across the globe does not have a well-defined existence. But, at the same time, it is one of the schools most urgent needs. Teaching religion takes place in many Catholic colleges and secondary schools. It can also be found, to a lesser degree, in some of the better parishes. Primary school instruction in religion receives the most curricular attention and resources.
The importance of van der Waals interactions to thermal transport in Graphene-C60 heterostructures

Abstract Graphene-C60 heterostructures assembled by van der Waals (vdW) interactions between graphene and C60 have shown exciting potential for multifunctional devices. Understanding thermal transport in graphene-C60 heterostructures is the key to guiding the design of vdW heterostructures with desired thermal transport properties. In this work, we report the first study of thermal transport in a graphene-C60 heterostructure and elucidate the importance of vdW interactions to heat conduction using molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the in-plane thermal conductivity of the graphene-C60 heterostructure is as high as about 234 W/(mK) at room temperature, exceeding those of most pure metals. As the vdW interaction parameter, χ , varies from 0.1 to 2, the in-plane thermal conductivity first increases then decreases. On the other hand, as vdW interactions increases, the interfacial thermal conductance between graphene and C60 is enhanced. Our study demonstrates that graphene-C60 heterostructures have high in-plane thermal conductivity and their interfacial thermal conductance is comparable to that of graphene-hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN) heterostructure. Graphene-C60 heterostructures are promising candidates for multifunctional devices with inherent heat dissipation capability.
“Daddy Pence Come Dance”: Queer(ing) Space in the Suburbs

Before Mike Pence’s inauguration as Vice-President, the LGBTQ activist group Werk for Peace threw a dance protest where over two hundred fiercely fashioned protesters queered Pence’s suburban neigh...
Resources, Growth and Sustainability

This chapter returns to the Malthusian question: are we running out of resources, whether due to population growth or rates of use of both exhaustible and renewable resources. More generally, the question is whether the natural resource base of the economy is adequate to sustain current standards of living. The literature on attempts to estimate measures of resource scarcity at different points in time is reviewed, with some new material, focusing on both physical measures such as reserves, and reserves/production ratios, and economic ones such as costs and prices. The modern statement of the question further broadens the definition of resources used in the production of goods and services (including environmental services as analyzed in the preceding chapter) to include natural capital, contributions of the natural environment such as soils, unpolluted water, and clean air to an inclusive measure of welfare. This in turn leads to the concept of sustainability or sustainable development, first defined in a 1987 report as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The main thrust of this part of the chapter is to translate this statement into a form suitable for rigorous analysis and ultimately for measurement. This is accomplished first with an intuitive model and then in a more formal one, with much the same results. A very preliminary attempt in the literature at measurement of the sustainability of a number of national economies is reported.
Automatic Detection of COVID-19 from Chest X-ray Images with Convolutional Neural Networks

Deep Learning has improved multi-fold in recent years and it has been playing a great role in image classification which also includes medical imaging. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) has been performing well in detecting many diseases including Coronary Artery Disease, Malaria, Alzheimer’s disease, different dental diseases, and Parkinson’s disease. Like other cases, CNN has a substantial prospect in detecting COVID-19 patients with medical images like chest X-rays and CTs. Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Till July 11, 2020, the total COVID-19 confirmed cases are 12.32 M and deaths are 0.556 M worldwide. Detecting Corona positive patients is very important in preventing the spread of this virus. On this conquest, a CNN model is proposed to detect COVID-19 patients from chest X-ray images. This model is evaluated with a comparative analysis of two other CNN models. The proposed model performs with an accuracy of 97.56% and a precision of 95.34%. This model gives the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve area of 0.976 and F1-score of 97.61. It can be improved further by increasing the dataset for training the model.
Conspecific sperm precedence is reinforced but sexual selection weakened in sympatric populations of Drosophila

Sexual selection is well recognized as a driver of reproductive isolation between lineages, however selection for increased reproductive isolation could also reciprocally feed back to alter sexual selection, when these processes share a genetic basis. Direct selection for isolation is most likely to occur in the context of "reinforcement", where selection acts to increase prezygotic barriers to reduce the cost of heterospecific matings. Many studies of reinforcement focus on premating reproductive barriers, however postmating traits--such as conspecific sperm precedence (CSP)--can also respond to reinforcing selection. When CSP and intrapopulation sperm competition (ISC) share a genetic basis, selection for increased CSP in sympatric populations could alter ISC and the strength of sexual selection. We tested this prediction with the sister species Drosophila pseudoobscura and D. persimilis, using two sympatric and two allopatric populations of D. pseudoobscura. We used a factorial sperm competition experiment to evaluate differences in CSP and ISC between sympatric and allopatric populations. Using multiple tester males across this factorial design also allowed us to estimate the opportunity for sexual selection within each population. Consistent with a pattern of reinforcement, the sympatric populations had higher mean CSP. Reinforcement, in turn, decreased the average offensive sperm competitive ability specifically within these sympatric populations, allowing less opportunity for sexual selection to operate among conspecific males. These data demonstrate that strong reinforcing selection for reproductive isolation can have consequences for sexual selection and sexual interactions within species, in these important postmating sperm competition traits.
A Parallel Framework for Robust State Estimation Using Node-Breaker Substation Models

This paper presents a parallel implementation of a least absolute value (LAV) based linear state estimation (SE) algorithm using node-breaker (NB) models. The proposed method automatically corrects topology errors during the SE process, therefore, does not need any pre- or post-SE processing. Although leverage measurements can be problematic for LAV estimators, NB modeling is shown to be less susceptible to leverage measurements than bus-branch (BB) modeling. To deal with the increase in computational complexity of NB models, a zone-partitioning algorithm combined with parallel processing is utilized. The IEEE 300-bus system is used to demonstrate both the topology correction capability and the computational efficiency of the proposed method.
Synergy: Development of an Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Clinical Learners and Design Students:

The complexity of problems in Health design demands trans-disciplinary efforts to be addressed and resolved. However, very few curricula in medical education involve collaboration with non-medical ...
Reporting violent acts to the police: A difference by race

Members of minority groups, particularly minority groups that are race based, report less confidence in law enforcement across a number of dimensions. These people believe that the police act in a discriminatory manner. The current emphasis on community policing, among other things, should improve community attitudes toward the police. The data reported here suggest that the reverse is true for one southern city. In that city, minority subjects are less willing to report acts of violence that they believe to be wrong to the police.
A comparison of three generalized extreme-value rainfall studies

This paper examines the genesis, data, sampling and analyses procedures, and compares the values for one combination of duration and rare frequency of three major generalized rainfall frequency studies published over a period of 44 years. Even though there are considerable differences in the sampling periods, number of stations, and analyses procedures, the comparisons of 100-year 24-hour values at corresponding points on maps exhibit only about a 10-percent discrepancy. This is well within the range of error when expressing the data on a frequency basis. Tests with recent data strongly indicate that the frequency maps are, for all practical purposes, still applicable to today's extreme-value rainfall regime.
RHIC beam position monitor assemblies

Design calculations, design details, and fabrication techniques for the RHIC BPM Assemblies are discussed. The 69 mm aperture single plane detectors are 23 cm long short-circuited 50 ohm strip transmission lines subtending 80 degrees. They are mounted on the sextupole end of the corrector-quadrupole-sextupole package and operate at liquid helium temperature. The 69 cm aperture was selected to be the same as that of the beampipe in the CQS package, the 23 cm length is a compromise between mechanical stability and electrical sensitivity to the long low-intensity proton and heavy ion bunches to be found in RHIC during commissioning, and the 80 degree subtended angle maximizes linear aperture. The striplines are aligned after brazing to maintain electrical-to-mechanical centers within 0.1 mm radius, eliminating the need for individual calibration. Because the cryogenic feedthrus isolate the UHV beam vacuum only from the HV insulating vacuum, and do not see liquid helium, a replaceable mini-ConFlat design was chosen to simplify fabrication, calibration, and maintenance. >
Automation in Quality

The pharmaceutical industry defines product quality in terms of product safety, strength, identity, purity, and use of quality (i.e. validated) processes. Automation is a technology that can improve product quality from a number of perspectives. This article focuses on features, applications, and validation of automation systems. Keywords: automation systems; validation; distributed control systems (DCS); programmable logic controller (PLC); process control loops
Deviation magnification: revealing departures from ideal geometries

Structures and objects are often supposed to have idealized geometries such as straight lines or circles. Although not always visible to the naked eye, in reality, these objects deviate from their idealized models. Our goal is to reveal and visualize such subtle geometric deviations, which can contain useful, surprising information about our world. Our framework, termed Deviation Magnification, takes a still image as input, fits parametric models to objects of interest, computes the geometric deviations, and renders an output image in which the departures from ideal geometries are exaggerated. We demonstrate the correctness and usefulness of our method through quantitative evaluation on a synthetic dataset and by application to challenging natural images.
Failure of anticytokeratin 18 antibody to improve flow cytometric detection of bladder cancer.

Background. Bladder washing specimens containing inflammatory or squamous cells have been difficult to accurately analyze with single-parameter DNA flow cytometric (FCM) methods. Methods. The anticytokeratin 18 antibody, CK5, was used in a multiparameter assay of 275 bladder washing and voided urine specimens to immunoselect only the bladder transitional cells for DNA analysis. Results. Flow cytometric detection of transitional cell carcinoma was increased by immunoselection of CK5-positive cells in specimens from patients with disease. Unfortunately, a similar increase in hyperdiploid cells in pathologically benign specimens was observed, which resulted in a false-positive rate of 45%. In some instances, multiparameter FCM assays with CK5 could detect aneuploid cell populations not clearly evident by single-parameter analysis. Conclusions. However, the results from this study of the hyperdiploid cell fraction showed that the increased sensitivity resulting from the use of CK5 was not clinically useful because of the decrease in specificity.