cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing headwear for women with chemotherapy-induced hair loss

ABSTRACTHair loss is one of the most feared side effects for women experiencing cancer and chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the headwear-related needs of women experiencing chemotherapy-induced hair loss and to develop headwear to help improve their quality of life. The needs identified served as design criteria for developing the headwear. A mixed methods research strategy was used including personal interviews, user comments on a blog created for the purposes of this study and an on-line survey. The five-step design process outlined by Watkins and Dunne served as a framework for the study. Based on the 14 design criteria identified in the study, 3 headwear prototypes were developed. The headwear was evaluated by women in a cancer support group to determine how well the headwear addressed the design criteria and met user needs.
Characteristics of Dung That Affect Face Fly, Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae), Larva Survival and Puparial Mineralization

Major differences occurred in the physical and chemical parameters of three dung types, NGD, MGD, and HGD, from cattle fed diets containing no grain, and medium (35–40%), and high (>60%) amounts of grain, respectively. Both NGD and MGD differed from HGD in a majority of the parameters measured over a 3-d period, including face fly, Musca autumnalis De Geer, larva survival to the pupal stage, production of large quantities of organic acids in HGD, substantial decreases in pH of > 1 pH unit, and large increases in osmolality (ca. 200 mmol/kg) in HGD. Alteration experiments indicated that a complex of factors causes the increase in larva mortality associated with HGD, including low pH, elevated osmolality, and the production of organic acids such as volatile fatty acids and lactic acid.
PON Supporting the Constant Evolution of Mobile Network

It describes the application scenes of EPON carrying solution from the aspects of combination networking of PON and MSTP, pure IP backhaul service carrying, carrying of PICO and Femtocell, carrying LTE base station. It illustrates with 2 examples that EPON carrying solution can provide low cost and flexible base station carrying solution for the operators.
Regulatory Technology Development Plan - Sodium Fast Reactor. Mechanistic Source Term - Trial Calculation. Work Plan

The overall objective of the SFR Regulatory Technology Development Plan (RTDP) effort is to identify and address potential impediments to the SFR regulatory licensing process. In FY14, an analysis by Argonne identified the development of an SFR-specific MST methodology as an existing licensing gap with high regulatory importance and a potentially long lead-time to closure. This work was followed by an initial examination of the current state-of-knowledge regarding SFR source term development (ANLART-3), which reported several potential gaps. Among these were the potential inadequacies of current computational tools to properly model and assess the transport and retention of radionuclides during a metal fuel pool-type SFR core damage incident. The objective of the current work is to determine the adequacy of existing computational tools, and the associated knowledge database, for the calculation of an SFR MST. To accomplish this task, a trial MST calculation will be performed using available computational tools to establish their limitations with regard to relevant radionuclide release/retention/transport phenomena. The application of existing modeling tools will provide a definitive test to assess their suitability for an SFR MST calculation, while also identifying potential gaps in the current knowledge base and providing insight into open issues regarding regulatory criteria/requirements.more » The findings of this analysis will assist in determining future research and development needs.« less
Speech and language development. The physician's role.

Deviation from accepted parameters for normal speech and language development calls for exploration of possible contributing factors. Early intervention and management is vital. The guides to healthy language stimulation offered here are appropriate for normal and handicapped children.
SU-G-206-05: A Comparison of Head Phantoms Used for Dose Determination in Imaging Procedures

Purpose: To determine similarities and differences between various head phantoms that might be used for dose measurements in diagnostic imaging procedures. Methods: We chose four frequently used anthropomorphic head phantoms (SK-150, PBU-50, RS-240T and Alderson Rando), a computational patient phantom (Zubal) and the CTDI head phantom for comparison in our study. We did a CT scan of the head phantoms using the same protocol and compared their dimensions and CT numbers. The scan data was used to calculate dose values for each of the phantoms using EGSnrc Monte Carlo software. An .egsphant file was constructed to describe these phantoms using a Visual C++ program for DOSXYZnrc/EGSnrc simulation. The lens dose was calculated for a simulated CBCT scan using DOSXYZnrc/EGSnrc and the calculated doses were validated with measurements using Gafchromic film and an ionization chamber. Similar calculations and measurements were made for PA radiography to investigate the attenuation and backscatter differences between these phantoms. We used the Zubal phantom as the standard for comparison since it was developed based on a CT scan of a patient. Results: The lens dose for the Alderson Rando phantom is around 9% different than the Zubal phantom, while the lens dose for the PBU-50 phantom was about 50% higher, possibly because its skull thickness and the density of bone and soft tissue are lower than anthropometric values. The lens dose for the CTDI phantom is about 500% higher because of its totally different structure. The entrance dose profiles are similar for the five anthropomorphic phantoms, while that for the CTDI phantom was distinctly different. Conclusion: The CTDI and PBU-50 head phantoms have substantially larger lens dose estimates in CBCT. The other four head phantoms have similar entrance dose with backscatter hence should be preferred for dose measurement in imaging procedures of the head. Partial support from NIH Grant R01-EB002873 and Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.
Infectious Surgical Complications are Not Dichotomous: Characterizing Discordance Between Administrative Data and Registry Data.

Objective To characterize reasons for discordance between administrative data and registry data in the determination of postoperative infectious complications. Background Data regarding the occurrence of postoperative surgical complications are identified through either administrative or registry data. Rates of complications vary significantly between these two types of data; the reasons for this are not well-understood. Methods The occurrence of 30-day inpatient infectious complications (pneumonia, sepsis, surgical site infection, and urinary tract infection) was compared between the NSQIP and administrative mechanisms at 4 academic hospitals between 2012 and 2014. In each situation where the NSQIP and administrative data were discordant regarding the occurrence of a specific complication, a 2-clinician chart abstraction was performed to characterize the reasons for discordance as (i) administrative coding error, (ii) NSQIP coding error, (iii) "question of criteria", where the discordance was the result of differences in criteria, or (iv) "dually incorrect", where both data sources coded the complication incorrectly. Results The cohort included 19,163 patients undergoing surgery in 4 different academic hospitals. Rates of infectious complications varied up to 5-fold between the two data sources. A total of 717 discordant complications were identified. Of these, the greatest portion (43%) was due to "question of criteria," followed by administrative coding error (37%), NSQIP error (15%), and dually incorrect (5%). Conclusions With a goal of improving existing mechanisms for measuring surgical quality, definitions for the occurrence of a postoperative complication need to be developed and applied consistently. Progress toward this goal will enable patients and payers to better take advantage of recent advances in healthcare data transparency.
Multivariable Analysis of Factors Affecting Length of Stay and Hospital Charges After Atlantoaxial Fusion.

BACKGROUND Atlantoaxial fusion is an effective procedure for treating degenerative, traumatic, and congenital abnormalities that result in upper cervical instability; however, data on which factors affect the length of stay and hospitalization-related charges are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables that affect these healthcare cost factors for patients undergoing posterior atlantoaxial fusion. METHODS We retrospectively identified from a clinical database 59 patients who underwent isolated posterior atlantoaxial fusion at a single institution from 2010 to 2015. Demographic, clinical, and surgical variables from a clinical database were analyzed with respect to the length of hospital stay and hospital charges. T-test and Chi-square testing, as well as univariate and multivariable analysis, were performed with p<0.05 considered significant. RESULTS On multivariable analysis, a variety of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher hospital charges, including tobacco use, preoperative diagnosis, operating room time, and the need for intraoperative blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS Varied preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors are associated with increased length of hospitalization and higher hospital charges after atlantoaxial fusion. Familiarity with these factors may allow for improved surgical planning and patient counseling.
A Three-Gun Shadow-Mask Color Kinescope

A three-gun shadow-mask color kinescope is described as well as construction techniques. The beams, from three guns mounted together in a 2-inch diameter neck, are deflected by a single deflection yoke. The guns are pointed so that the electron beams converge to a spot on a thin, perforated metal sheet that acts as a mask and is located a short distance away from a viewing screen composed of many phosphor dots. Associated with each hole in the mask is a trio of phosphor dots capable of emitting the three primary colors, red, blue, and green. The dots are so placed that each electron beam as it scans can "see" only one dot of the trio. Each of the three beams is thus capable of exciting one color only, and when all three beams are modulated with the appropriate primary color information, a picture in full color can be reproduced. An apparatus called the "lighthouse" is used to record the locations of the phosphor dots on a photographic plate placed behind the mask and in the plane of the phosphor screen. A point source of light, at the position from which the deflection of one of the beams appears to take place, is used to simulate the electron beam in recording the phosphor dot positions. The pattern for one color of phosphor is the same as for the other two colors, and the geometry of the hole system in the mask is such that the three phosphor patterns nest together perfectly.
Abstract 18961: Racial Differences in Plasma Ntprobnp Levels: The Regards Study

Background: Natriuretic Peptides (NPs) are natriuretic and vasodilatory hormones synthesized from the heart. Whether NP system is endogenously suppressed in blacks free of prevalent cardiovascular ...
Measuring Preferences for Divided Government: Some Americans Want Divided Government and Vote to Create It

Tests of theories of the electoral origins of divided government hinge on the proper measurement of voter preferences for divided government. Deriving preferences for divided government from voters’ ideological positions or responses to the standard American National Election Studies question inflates estimates of the proportion of people who prefer divided government. We present two alternative survey measures of preferences for divided government and evaluate the measures across multiple surveys. We find that the percentage of voters who prefer divided government is smaller than previous studies suggest. Voters who prefer divided government according to the new measures are significantly more likely than other voters to vote in ways that create divided government in both presidential year and midterm congressional elections.
The Sexual Psychoendocrinology of Aging

If the need for sex changed with age in exact parallel to the capacity for sex, this chapter would be primarily an academic exercise instead of an attempt to explore the biological basis of a real human problem. This problem is well exemplified by the case of King David. Prophets 1:1 tells us: “Now King David was old and advanced in years and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, let a young maiden be sought for ... and let her lie in your bosom ... the maiden was very beautiful and she ministered to him; but the King knew her not.” We may surmise that the aging David was not merely suffering from hypothermia. Rather, judging from the use of the biblical euphemism “knew,” his problem was the discrepancy between libido and potency which is a common experience of aging men as has been substantiated in several studies (Verwoerdt et al., 1969a,b; Kinsey et al.,1948; Davidson et al., 1983).
Phonocardiography in atrial septal defect; external and intracardiac phonocardiograms.

E XTERNAL phonocardiograms in atrial septal defect have been studied by Reinhold and Nadas,l Leatham and Gray,' Effert et al .,' and Souli€ et al .4 A systolic murmur and split 2nd sound over the 2nd left interspace were usually found. A delayed, short early diastolic murmur and a presystolic murmur or 4th sound were often recorded over several areas of the precordium. The presence of a presystolic murmur and a loud 1st sound at the apex may simulate the snapping 1st sound of mitral stenosis . The mechanisms of production of systolic and diastolic murmurs and abnormal heart sounds were tentatively explained . Intracardiac phonocardiograms in atrial septal defect have not been studied systematically, although the method has been introduced by several workers .'-' The site of murmur formation may be precisely located in various cardiac chambers or great vessels (pulmonary artery) by intracardiac phonocardiograms . This comparative study, of external and intracardiac phonocardiography, correlated with intracardiac and vascular pressure tracings, may demonstrate, not only the site of murmur formation, but also the type of transmission of the murmur from the cardiac chambers to the precordium, and also explain the splitting of heart sounds . Intracardiac phonocardiograms in one case of septal defect were presented by Luisada and Testelli10 and other tracings were discussed by Luisada and Lit, in a recent monograph ."
Crystal structure of (η4-cyclo-octa-diene)(3,3'-dimesityl-1,1'-methyl-enediimidazoline-2,2'-diyl-idene)nickel(0) tetra-hydro-furan monosolvate.

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Ni(C25H28N4)(C8H12)]·C4H8O or (MesNHC2Me)Ni(COD), which contains a bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand with mesityl aryl groups is reported. The complex at 100 K has monoclinic (P21/c) symmetry and a distorted tetra­hedral geometry around the nickel center, with the cyclo­octa­diene ligand coordinated in a κ2,η2 fashion. The bidentate NHC ligand is not planar, with a C(carbene)—Ni—C(carbene) angle of 91.51 (12)°, resulting in the mesityl groups being on the same side of the cyclo­octa­diene (COD) ligand. One mol­ecule of tetra­hydro­furan (THF) is co-crystallized with the nickel complex and has positional disorder.
Application of epoch-era analysis to the selection of a distributed power generation system

Abstract The current shift from centralized energy generation to a more distributed model has opened a number of choices for homeowners to provide their own power. While there are many potential systems to purchase, there are few good tools to help the homeowner determine which system they should select, given practical uncertainties typically faced. This research investigates how an Epoch-Era Analysis analytic approach can be used to select the appropriate distributed generation system for the homeowner. Ten different distributed generation alternatives were analyzed with the results suggesting that the average homeowner should select a solar photovoltaic system. Additionally, the research investigated how the use of an average composite homeowner profile, as compared to an individualized homeowner profile, might result in a different distributed generation selection. Two individual homeowners were randomly selected from the pool of homeowners from which the composite was constructed. There were noticeable differences between the individualized profile and that of the average profile, including one of the homeowners selecting the geothermal system instead of the solar photovoltaic. The research suggests that use of average preferences may lead to misleading results when aggregating groups of heterogeneous individuals, potentially creating missed market opportunities for firms making product offering decisions to satisfy diverse customer needs.
Is the Price Right? An Empirical Study of Fee-Setting in Securities Class Actions

Every year, fee awards enable millions of people to obtain access to justice and strengthen the deterrent effect of the law by motivating lawyers to handle class actions. But little research exists on why judges award the amounts they do or whether they size fee awards correctly. The process remains a black box. Through a detailed study of 431 securities class actions that settled in federal district courts from 2007 through 2012, this Article presents the first empirical study to peer inside that black box. In contrast to prior analyses, this study relies on the actual court filings in each case to create an original, comprehensive data set on all points at which federal judges are likely to consider issues relating to fees. These data enable us to paint a picture of the feesetting process that is unusually detailed and nuanced — and that falsifies many common beliefs. Among this Article’s major findings are that: (1) federal judges often deviate from the path Congress laid out in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which requires lead plaintiffs to set the terms of class counsel’s retention and federal judges to serve as backstops against abuses; (2) fees are generally lower in federal districts that see a high volume of securities class actions than in districts that handle lower volumes; (3) judges in high-volume districts are significantly more likely to cut fees than low-volume judges; (4) the “decrease-increase” rule, according to which fee percentages decline as settlements become larger, operates mainly in high-volume districts; and (5) judges appear to cut fees randomly, typically with very little explanation for why they did so. Finally, this Article finds that so-called “lodestar crosschecks,” which are supposed to help judges moderate fee awards, have unintended effects. All else equal, fee awards are significantly higher when fee requests include cross-checks than when lawyers use only the percentage method. A plausible explanation is that lawyers are anticipating judges’ reactions to fee requests and acting strategically. They include lodestar information when their requests may appear excessive and they omit it either when they expect judges to grant their requests or they think that the lodestar data will not help their cause. In sum, there is little evidence that courts’ current actions in securities class actions move class counsel’s fees closer to the “right price.” This Article therefore proposes a set of procedural reforms, which courts could easily adopt, to make fee-setting in securities class actions more transparent, more compatible with the PSLRA’s normative goals, and more predictable. The reforms would encourage lawyers to invest in class actions at more appropriate levels, with salutary effects for plaintiffs and the integrity of the financial markets.
Stimulation or Cancellation of Ca 2+ Influx by Bipolar Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields in Adrenal Chromaffin Cells Can Be Achieved by Tuning Pulse Waveform

Exposing adrenal chromaffin cells to single 150 to 400 ns electric pulses triggers a rise in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) that is due to Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC) and plasma membrane electropores. Immediate delivery of a second pulse of the opposite polarity in which the duration and amplitude were the same as the first pulse (a symmetrical bipolar pulse) or greater than the first pulse (an asymmetrical bipolar pulse) had a stimulatory effect, evoking larger Ca2+ responses than the corresponding unipolar pulse. Progressively decreasing the amplitude of the opposite polarity pulse while also increasing its duration converted stimulation to attenuation, which reached a maximum of 43% when the positive phase was 150 ns at 3.1 kV/cm, and the negative phase was 800 ns at 0.2 kV/cm. When VGCCs were blocked, Ca2+ responses evoked by asymmetrical and even symmetrical bipolar pulses were significantly reduced relative to those evoked by the corresponding unipolar pulse under the same conditions, indicating that attenuation involved mainly the portion of Ca2+ influx attributable to membrane electropermeabilization. Thus, by tuning the shape of the bipolar pulse, Ca2+ entry into chromaffin cells through electropores could be attenuated while preserving Ca2+ influx through VGCCs.
Effects of longitudinal pre-stretch on the mechanics of human aorta before and after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in trauma patients

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has evolved as a first-line therapy for trauma patients. Most trauma patients are young, and their aortas are compliant and longitudinally pre-stretched. We have developed a method to include longitudinal pre-stretch in computational models of human thoracic aortas of different ages before and after TEVAR. Finite element models were built using computerized tomography angiography data obtained from human subjects in 6 age groups 10–69 years old. Aortic properties were determined with planar biaxial testing, and pre-stretch was simulated using a series of springs. GORE C-Tag stent-graft was computationally deployed in aortas with and without pre-stretch, and the stress–strain fields were compared. Pre-stretch had significant qualitative and quantitative effects on the aortic stress–strain state before and after TEVAR. Before TEVAR, mean intramural aortic stresses with and without pre-stretch decreased with age from 108 kPa and 83 kPa in the youngest age group, to 60 kPa in the oldest age group. TEVAR increased intramural stresses by an average of 73 ± 15 kPa and 48 ± 10 kPa for aortas with and without pre-stretch and produced high stress concentrations near the aortic isthmus. Inclusion of pre-stretch in young aortas increased intramural stresses by 30%, while in > 50-year-old subjects it did not change the results. Computational modeling of aorta-stent-graft interaction that includes pre-stretch can be instrumental for device design and assessment of its long-term performance, and in the future may help more accurately determine the stress–strain characteristics associated with TEVAR complications.
Is Soccer Just for Machos?: The Construction of Masculinity in Contemporary Peruvian “Kick-Lit” Stories and “Kick-Flicks”

When analyzing Peruvian contemporary films and novels that use soccer as their main topic (which, in the present chapter, I called “kick-flicks” and “kick-lit” stories, respectively), we can observe that they are mainly focused on the construction of hegemonic masculinity: the male protagonists of these fictions succeed professionally, socially and in the private sphere only if they are able to practice, understand, enjoy and benefit from the beautiful game. In contrast, the male figures that do not fit under this representation of a macho (i.e. those belonging to marginalized and subordinated masculinities groups) are ridiculed, infantilized and portrayed as pariahs, while most of the female characters are depicted as mere secondary figures defined by their relationship with a male character or following gender archetypes (the maternal figure, the witch, etc.). The following lines will examine three Peruvian texts (two novels and one film) released in the last decade that show that in the literature and cinema of this South American nation, football is seen as an activity “just for machos”. Following what diverse Latin American Studies scholars have maintained about masculinities in this region, the analysis of these three Peruvian fictions sheds light about the fact that physical features and heterosexuality do not suffice to become part of hegemonic groups for men. In that sense, these stories reveal that, as R. W. Connell has argued in her classic book Masculinities, class and race represent factors that marginalize men from hegemonic male elites.
Pseudo-sluicing in Turkish: A pro-form Analysis

This study investigates pseudo-sluicing constructions in Turkish and argues that they can be best accounted for by a pro -form analysis. The explanation rests on the properties of pseudo-sluicing in Turkish such as lack of case connectivity, presence of copula in the pseudo-sluice, lack of island effect and the ungrammaticality with sprouting. All these characteristics significantly challenge a possible elliptical cleft approach, and provide evidence for a pro -form analysis where the wh -word is preceded by a null e-type pronoun, as originally suggested for sluicing-like constructions in Mandarin Chinese (cf. Adams 2004, Adams and Tomioka 2012).
Tensor Completion From Regular Sub-Nyquist Samples

Signal sampling and reconstruction is a fundamental engineering task at the heart of signal processing. The celebrated Shannon-Nyquist theorem guarantees perfect signal reconstruction from uniform samples, obtained at a rate twice the maximum frequency present in the signal. Unfortunately a large number of signals of interest are far from being band-limited. This motivated research on reconstruction from sub-Nyquist samples, which mainly hinges on the use of random/incoherent sampling procedures. However, uniform or regular sampling is more appealing in practice and from the system design point of view, as it is far simpler to implement, and often necessary due to system constraints. In this work, we study regular sampling and reconstruction of three- or higher-dimensional signals (tensors). We show that reconstructing a tensor signal from regular samples is feasible. Under the proposed framework, the sample complexity is determined by the tensor rank—rather than the signal bandwidth. This result offers new perspectives for designing practical regular sampling patterns and systems for signals that are naturally tensors, e.g., images and video. For a concrete application, we show that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acceleration is a tensor sampling problem, and design practical sampling schemes and an algorithmic framework to handle it. Numerical results show that our tensor sampling strategy accelerates the fMRI sampling process significantly without sacrificing reconstruction accuracy.
Ultrasound-based simulation for cannulation in outpatient hemodialysis units: An educational protocol

Portable ultrasounds are often referred to as the "new stethoscope." Their portability and affordability have led to improved diagnostic capabilities at the point of care in virtually every field of medicine, and hemodialysis access is no exception. However, though ultrasonography is increasingly used throughout the spectrum of hemodialysis access, its role in outpatient dialysis units in the United States has been limited so far. This may, in part, be due to limited ultrasound exposure, knowledge, and training of dialysis staff. This article details an educational protocol including hands-on simulation for training dialysis technicians and nurses in ultrasound-guided cannulation techniques.
Trustless Framework for Iterative Double Auction Based on Blockchain

One of the major problems in current implementations of iterative double auction is that they rely on a trusted third party to handle the auction process. This imposes the risk of single point of failures and monopoly. In this paper, we aim to tackle this problem by proposing a novel decentralized and trustless framework for iterative double auction based on blockchain. Our design adopts the smart contract and state channel technologies to enable a double auction process among parties that do not trust each other, while minimizing the blockchain transactions. We provide a formal development of the framework and highlight the security of our design against adversaries.
Mixed-conducting ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes: Gas permeation and counter-permeation

Abstract CO2 and O2 permeable ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes can be used in membrane reactors for applications such as selective oxidation of hydrocarbons. Two ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes consisting of mixed electronic-ionic conducting perovskite-type ceramics of Pr0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8 and SrFe0.9Ta0.1O3-δ are studied for CO2 and O2 permeation and counter-permeation. The geometric factors for the carbonate phase and ceramic phase, obtained from the data of helium permeation and electrical conductivity, are used to calculate the effective carbonate and oxygen ionic conductivity in the carbonate and ceramic phase. Without counter-permeation, O2 permeation through the dual-phase membrane is controlled by oxygen ionic conduction in the ceramic phase and CO2 permeation is determined by the total conductance including effective carbonate and oxygen ionic conductivities in both phases. When the dual-phase membrane is exposed to CO2 on one side and O2 on the other side, counter-permeation of CO2 and O2 occurs in the opposite directions across the membrane. With CO2 counter-permeation, the oxygen ionic flux is higher than that without counter-permeation due to an increase in the driving force for oxygen transport. CO2 permeation consumes oxygen ions transporting through the membrane, resulting in a lower O2 permeation flux compared with the O2-only permeation case. However, O2 counter-permeation has negligible effect on CO2 permeation flux for the dual-phase membranes.
Gravitational interactions and neutrino masses

We describe a scenario where the smallness of neutrino masses is related to a global symmetry that is only violated by quantum gravitational effects. The coupling of neutrinos to gauge singlet right-handed fermions is attributed to symmetry preserving gravitational operators suppressed by the Planck mass, in this framework. The proposed scenario leads to axion particles that decay into neutrinos, which could be probed through cosmological measurements and may help explain the Hubble parameter tension. Depending on the details of the implementation, the scenario could provide axion dark matter candidates.
Home smoking and vaping policies among US adults: results from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, wave 3.

Abstract We examined the prevalence of home smoking and vaping restrictions among US adults, and compared home policy differences for smoking and vaping among vapers, smokers, and dual users. Secondary data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 3 (2015–2016) with 28,148 adults were analyzed using weighted multivariable logistic regression models that account for complex sampling design to compare differences in home policies among non-users, vapers only, smokers only, and dual users. Compared to never-users, current vapers who were ex-smokers and dual users were more likely to allow home vaping (aOR = 11.06, 95% CI: 8.04–15.21; aOR = 6.44, 95% CI: 5.01–8.28) and smoking (aOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19–2.22; aOR = 3.58, 95% CI: 2.88–4.45). Current smokers were more likely to allow vaping (aOR = 3.53, 95% CI: 3.06–4.06) and smoking (aOR = 4.27, 95% CI: 3.73–4.89) inside the home than never-users. Current vapers who never smoked were more likely to allow vaping inside the home than never-users (aOR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.53–3.93). Vapers reported much lower rates of vape-free home policies relative to both their smoke-free home policies and to vape-free home policies among smokers. Vapers may be using e-cigarettes in hopes of harm reduction, but interpreting “harm reduction” as safe, thus exposing non-users in their homes to second- and thirdhand aerosols. This underscores the need to healthcare providers to extend intervention with vapers to include implementing vape-free home policies.
Single-Cell RNAseq of Out-of-Thaw Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Shows Striking Tissue-of-Origin Differences and Inter-donor Cell-Cycle Variations

Abstract Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from a variety of tissue sources are widely investigated in clinical trials, and the MSCs are often administered immediately after thawing the cryopreserved product. While previous reports have examined the transcriptome of freshly-cultured MSCs from some tissues, little is known about the single-cell transcriptomic profiles of out-of-thaw MSCs from different tissue sources. Such understanding could help determine which tissue origins and delivery methods are best suited for specific indications. Here, we characterized cryopreserved MSCs, immediately post-thaw, from bone marrow (BM) and cord tissue (CT), using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We show that out-of-thaw BM-vs. CT-MSCs have significant differences in gene expression. Gene-set enrichment analyses implied divergent functional potential. In addition, we show that MSC-batches can vary significantly in cell cycle status, suggesting different proliferative vs. immunomodulatory potentials. Our results provide a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic landscape of clinically and industrially relevant MSC products. Highlights Single cell gene expression comparison between Bone-marrow derived MSCs and Cord-tissue derived MSCs Donor effects and cell heterogeneity on tissue-specific MSC gene expression Single Cell Pooling Enhances Differential Expression Analysis for Bone marrow and Cord tissue MSC samples Gene ontology reveals tissue specific unique molecular function and pathways
How Mississippi's Labor Market, Economy, and Funding Impact Prison Understaffing

Understaffing is a problem within the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but Mississippi’s poor labor market, struggling economy, and deficient budget do not currently support the needs of the Mississippi Department of Corrections and demonstrate factors which limit the agency’s abilities to adequately staff its facilities. First, the state of Mississippi’s labor market performance ranks 48th overall among the 50 states and its unemployment rate was 5.8%, ranked 45th among the 50 states. Reservation wage represents an important factor in analyzing Mississippi’s labor market and the reported hourly wage for correctional officers was $13.88. This same wage is provided to arguably safer occupations than working as a correctional officer making it difficult to persuade labor force participants to accept offers in such a dangerous occupation. Mississippi reports a 36% annual turnover in correctional staffing representing struggles in retaining the staff currently in place. The Mississippi Department of Corrections will continue struggling to compete with other low-wage occupations until they can offer competitive wages. Second, Mississippi’s economy also ranked 48th among the 50 states. Since 2010, Mississippi’s population only grew 0.6% and its per capita income sat at about 70% of the national figure. Many of Mississippi’s prisons are built in struggling non-metropolitan areas limiting the pool of residents from which to hire. Improving staffing turns on working within the means of the state’s economic statistics and finding ways to improve the economy. Finally, Mississippi cut the MDOC’s budget by $215 million over the past six years. Funding is necessary to properly manage and operate a prison. The MDOC is not an industry which maintains any control over its own population and thus the more prisoners being housed, the more staff is needed, and the more funding required. Potential solutions to the understaffing issue exist, such as closing facilities, releasing prisoners, learning from what other states implement, and reconsidering funding. There is an opportunity for Mississippi to get ahead of this issue and address it before the problem is placed in the court’s hands or the state will have little to no say in how this issue is corrected.
Predicting functional effect of missense variants using graph attention neural networks

Accurate prediction of damaging missense variants is critically important for interpretating genome sequence. While many methods have been developed, their performance has been limited. Recent progress in machine learning and availability of large-scale population genomic sequencing data provide new opportunities to significantly improve computational predictions. Here we describe gMVP, a new method based on graph attention neural networks. Its main component is a graph with nodes capturing predictive features of amino acids and edges weighted by coevolution strength, which enables effective pooling of information from local protein sequence context and functionally correlated distal positions. Evaluated by deep mutational scan data, gMVP outperforms published methods in identifying damaging variants in TP53, PTEN, BRCA1, and MSH2. Additionally, it achieves the best separation of de novo missense variants in neurodevelopmental disorder cases from the ones in controls. Finally, the model supports transfer learning to optimize gain- and loss-of-function predictions in sodium and calcium channels. In summary, we demonstrate that gMVP can improve interpretation of missense variants in clinical testing and genetic studies.
Use of polyamide cable ties during experimental omentectomy in adult horses with histopathological assessment.

Objective To report the use of nylon cable ties (NCT) for omentectomy in the horse. Study design Experimental study. Animals Eight healthy adult horses. Methods Horses underwent nylon cable tie (NCT) ligation of the greater omentum after ventral midline celiotomy. The time required to complete the omentectomy was recorded. Horses were recovered for 14 days before repeat celiotomy, adhesions assessment, and histological examination of the omentectomy site using a proposed histologic grading scheme. The total time for omentectomy procedure and histologic score was assessed for normality. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Results NCT ligation provided sufficient hemostasis to complete the omentectomy (28 ± 15 s), without rescue ligation. No gross evidence of intra-abdominal adhesion or morbidity was associated with the omentectomy site 14 days after surgery. NCT were intact at the site of application, covered with smooth fibrous connective tissue. Adiponecrosis with minimal inflammation and fibrovascular occlusion of omental vessels was present at the surgical site. Mild inflammation was present at the NCT-tissue interface. Conclusion The use of NCT resulted in fast and effective omentectomy in healthy horses without short-term evidence of inflammatory reaction or intra-abdominal adhesion. Clinical significance The described technique provides an alternative for omentectomy in healthy adult horses.
Organotypic intestinal cell culture as a new modality for intestinal function and cellular processes

Abstract In recent years the advent of organotypic intestinal culture systems has revolutionized studies of intestinal function and cellular processes. These self-organizing and self-renewing organ-like cultures are derived from primary human donor tissue or human pluripotent stem cells and allow for a facile and robust in vitro exploration of cell activity, organization, and responses to various stimuli. Moreover, they exhibit varying degrees of cellular complexity, morphological, and functional similarity to the native human intestine. In this chapter, we review the current state-of-art with regards to the use of organotypic intestinal cell cultures to model normal intestinal functions and describe the strategies for improving the complexity and physiological relevance of these three-dimensional biomimetic culture systems through codevelopment, coculture, transplantation, and bioengineering approaches.
Role of microalgae in circular bioeconomy: from waste treatment to biofuel production

The rapid increase in human population and industrialization have caused severe environmental impacts, such as the depletion of energy and water resources, increase in carbon emissions, and contamination of water bodies. Thus, innovative ways to reduce these issues are essential and also a challenge. In this regard, the circular bioeconomy model has attracted attention, since it aims the sustainable production, utilization of renewable resources, and conversion into value-added products. Microalgal biotechnology represents a promising approach to this concept. These microorganisms can convert nutrients from solid, liquid, and gaseous wastes into biomass with potential as a feedstock for obtaining bioproducts. The simultaneous or sequential extraction of these products in a microalgae-based biorefinery could be an alternative to improve the economic feasibility of the process. Hence, this review article highlights the application of microalgae to carry out waste treatment and produce biofuels and biofertilizers within the circular bioeconomy concept. The challenges and opportunities are also briefly addressed.
Towards a heterogeneous cable-connected team of UAVs for aerial manipulation

We study control of a heterogeneous team of two UAVs connected through a flexible cable such that the smaller UAV provides more accessibility in terms of reaching constrained locations, the larger UAV provides the base where heavier equipment can be installed, and the flexible cable acts as the conduit to carry electrical or communication cables, or for transporting fluids between the two UAVs. Our control design leverages the catenary model to compute the quasi-static cable tension and uses it to feedback linearize the system. An extended high-gain observer is used to estimate system states and to refine the estimate of cable tension. The estimates are used in the output feedback controller and the stability of the overall system is established. We illustrate the effectiveness of our methods using numerical simulations.
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS“familial hyperpepsinogenemia” and Helicobacter pylori infection

OBJECTIVE: Pepsinogen 1 (PG1) is a proenzyme precursor to pepsin, a protease secreted by the gastric chief cell. PG1 levels correlate with maximal gastric acid output. In 1979, Rotter et al. reported two pedigrees in which elevated PG1 levels and duodenal ulcers were prevalent. They proposed autosomal dominant inheritance of elevated PG1 and suggested that it was a risk factor for duodenal ulcer disease. In 1982, Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was discovered and was shown to be an important factor in peptic ulcer disease. Hp infection is also associated with increased PGI levels. We tested serum from one of the original pedigrees for Hp antibodies to determine whether Hp infection could explain the ulcers and elevated PG1 levels. METHODS: ELISA tests were performed using the urease fraction of a crushed Hp extract. Banked serum from one of the original families was thawed and tested. RESULTS: Of the subjects, 90% (nine of 10) with elevated PG1 were seropositive for Hp, compared to only 31% (17 of 55) of those with normal PG1 levels (p < 0.001). The mean PG1 level was higher in the seropositive (94.1 ± 13.3 ng/ml) than the seronegative subjects (54.8 ± 3.6, p < 0.05). Three of the four subjects with ulcers were Hp-seropositive. The prevalence of Hp-seropositivity and elevated PG1 declined in parallel in each successive generation. When neither parent was seropositive, children were seronegative. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of elevated PG1 levels in this pedigree is more likely due to Helicobacter pylori infection than to a genetic predisposition.
Newton iteration for partial differential equations and the approximation of the identity

It is known that the critical condition which guarantees quadratic convergence of approximate Newton methods is an approximation of the identity condition. This requires that the composition of the numerical inversion of the Frechet derivative with the derivative itself approximate the identity to an accuracy calibrated by the residual. For example, the celebrated quadratic convergence theorem of Kantorovich can be proven when this holds, subject to regularity and stability of the derivative map. In this paper, we study what happens when this condition is not evident “a priori” but is observed “a posteriori”. Through an in-depth example involving a semilinear elliptic boundary value problem, and some general theory, we study the condition in the context of dual norms, and the effect upon convergence. We also discuss the connection to Nash iteration.
One hundred autotransplants for relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's disease and lymphoma: value of pretransplant disease status for predicting outcome.

PURPOSEOne hundred autotransplants for Hodgkin's disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were examined prospectively to identify variables with prognostic significance.PATIENTS AND METHODSNinety-six patients with relapsed or refractory HD or NHL underwent 100 autotransplants. Patients received high-dose carmustine (BCNU), etoposide, cytarabine, and cyclophosphamide (BEAC) followed by unpurged autologous stem-cell rescue.RESULTSThe 3-year actuarial event-free survival (EFS) rate for the 47 HD patients is 49%, with a median followup duration of 2 years. For the 53 NHL patients, the 3-year actuarial EFS rate is 40%, with a median follow-up duration of 19 months. By multivariate analysis, minimal disease on admission (all areas < or = 2 cm) is associated with improved EFS (HD, P = .003, NHL, P = .03). The projected EFS rate for HD patients entering with minimal disease is 70% versus 15% for patients with bulky disease (P = .0001). The projected EFS rate for NHL patients with minimal disease is 48% versus...
Emancipatory Cosmopolitanism: Towards an Agenda

This contribution explores what, in outline, an agenda of emancipatory cosmopolitanism would consist of. The first step in this treatment is to scrutinize capitalist cosmopolitanism as the dominant variant of cosmopolitanism. Understanding its influence is crucial to the task of counterbalancing it. The second section concerns the strange double life of conventional cosmopolitanism, which, while claiming universality, reflects a regional, parochial order. This paper argues that if globalization is multipolar then cosmopolitanism too is multicentric and this involves overcoming West-centrism or monocultural cosmopolitanism. Third, whilst acknowledging the importance of the reflection on planetary ethics, the tendency toward normative abstraction is problematic; bringing history back into cosmopolitanism is necessary as a counterpoint to monocultural cosmopolitanism.
Analysis of water-soluble antioxidants by high-pressure liquid chromatography

The measurement of endogenous substances that function as biological antioxidants is of importance because the values obtained might be an index of future health. We quantified three water-soluble antioxidants by high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (h.p.l.c.-e.c.). Current-voltage relationships made at various settings of the D2 porous graphite electrode help to identify ascorbic acid, glutathione and uric acid. The antioxidants are determined simultaneously and without need for derivatization. The method is seen to be useful for comparison of normal rat liver with liver that had undergone oxidative stress through ischaemia. Antioxidant levels in liver, kidney, pancreas and intestinal mucosa are presented and compared with literature values. Endogenous contents of oxidized forms of ascorbic acid and glutathione become apparent following exposure of tissue samples to a strong reductant such as 2-mercapthoethanol.