cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meta-Analysis Identifies Gene-by-Environment Interactions as Demonstrated in a Study of 4,965 Mice

Identifying environmentally-specific genetic effects is a key challenge in understanding the structure of complex traits. Model organisms play a crucial role in the identification of such gene-by-environment interactions, as a result of the unique ability to observe genetically similar individuals across multiple distinct environments. Many model organism studies examine the same traits but under varying environmental conditions. For example, knock-out or diet-controlled studies are often used to examine cholesterol in mice. These studies, when examined in aggregate, provide an opportunity to identify genomic loci exhibiting environmentally-dependent effects. However, the straightforward application of traditional methodologies to aggregate separate studies suffers from several problems. First, environmental conditions are often variable and do not fit the standard univariate model for interactions. Additionally, applying a multivariate model results in increased degrees of freedom and low statistical power. In this paper, we jointly analyze multiple studies with varying environmental conditions using a meta-analytic approach based on a random effects model to identify loci involved in gene-by-environment interactions. Our approach is motivated by the observation that methods for discovering gene-by-environment interactions are closely related to random effects models for meta-analysis. We show that interactions can be interpreted as heterogeneity and can be detected without utilizing the traditional uni- or multi-variate approaches for discovery of gene-by-environment interactions. We apply our new method to combine 17 mouse studies containing in aggregate 4,965 distinct animals. We identify 26 significant loci involved in High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, many of which are consistent with previous findings. Several of these loci show significant evidence of involvement in gene-by-environment interactions. An additional advantage of our meta-analysis approach is that our combined study has significantly higher power and improved resolution compared to any single study thus explaining the large number of loci discovered in the combined study.
Osmo-conditioning improves guayule seed quality

Abstract Most guayule seed lots have poor germination and vigor characteristics and do not produce acceptable stands when seeded directly in the field. The focus of the author's research is to develop seed treatments to invigorate seed germination and seedling growth. Guayule seeds require light and optimum temperature for germination. The optimum temperature for dark germination is 17 ± 2°C. Under light, the seeds germinate over a broader range of temperatures (20–30°C). Seeds treated with 25% polyethylene glycol (MW 8000) and 100 μ m gibberellic acids germinate maximally (>90%) under light over a much broader range of temperatures (15–33°C). Seeds also accumulate more dry matter in the shoot tissue. No stimulatory effect of these treatments on root growth was evident. Osmo-conditioning was found to stimulate the germination and development of normal seedlings of most of the guayule germplasms that were tested in this study.
Performance of the adaptive LMS orthogonal filters

The authors compare the performance of the adaptive least mean square (LMS) orthogonal filters with those of adaptive LMS direct form and lattice form infinite impulse response (IIR) filters. The comparison is based on the complexities of computing the gradient, and monitoring the stability as well as the convergence properties observed from computer simulations when the adaptive filters are applied to system identification. >
Studies toward the total synthesis of dumsin. 2. A second generation approach resulting in enantioselective construction of a functionalized ABC subunit of the tetranortriterpenoid insect antifeedant.

A synthesis of the ABC framework of dumsin is described. The optically active intermediate 9b, which is expeditiously assembled from 5-oxobornyl pivalate by the sequential implementation of an oxy-Cope rearrangement and an intramolecular ene reaction, proved to be suitably functionalized for ultimate conversion to 5. The synthesis plan relies on two approaches to this targeted intermediate. In the first, the exocyclic double bond introduced during EtAlCl2-promoted closure of aldehyde 10b is cleaved to leave a carbonyl group that is amenable to hydride reduction and elimination of water. Cleavage of the resulting double bond with ruthenium tetroxide provided the seco ketoacid. The same advanced intermediate was obtained by initially positioning the double bond internal to the five-membered ring in advance of transient ring expansion via diketone formation and intramolecular aldolization. Both of these approaches bypass the complications arising from the substantial steric congestion prevailing in these str...
A Three-Equation Eddy-Viscosity Model for Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Simulations of Transitional Flow

An eddy-viscosity turbulence model employing three additional transport equations is presented and applied to a number of transitional flow test cases. The model is based on the k- framework and represents a substantial refinement to a transition-sensitive model that has been previously documented in the open literature. The third transport equation is included to predict the magnitude of low-frequency velocity fluctuations in the pretransitional boundary layer that have been identified as the precursors to transition. The closure of model terms is based on a phenomenological (i.e., physics-based) rather than a purely empirical approach and the rationale for the forms of these terms is discussed. The model has been implemented into a commercial computational fluid dynamics code and applied to a number of relevant test cases, including flat plate boundary layers with and without applied pressure gradients, as well as a variety of airfoil test cases with different geometries, Reynolds numbers, freestream turbulence conditions, and angles of attack. The test cases demonstrate the ability of the model to successfully reproduce transitional flow behavior with a reasonable degree of accuracy, particularly in comparison with commonly used models that exhibit no capability of predicting laminar-toturbulent boundary layer development. While it is impossible to resolve all of the complex features of transitional and turbulent flows with a relatively simple Reynolds-averaged modeling approach, the results shown here demonstrate that the new model can provide a useful and practical tool for engineers addressing the simulation and prediction of transitional flow behavior in fluid systems. DOI: 10.1115/1.2979230
Laboratory Informatics: Origin, Scope, and its Place in Higher Education:

Laboratory informatics is defined as the specialized application of information technology to optimize and extend laboratory operations. Rising with the tide of informatics in general, laboratory informatics is one of the fastest growing areas of laboratory-related technology. However, this technological growth has outstripped the expertise of the ones who stand to gain most from it: scientists and other end users in the laboratory. This gap could be bridged by specialists in laboratory informatics who are well grounded in the scientific basis of lab operations, yet also trained in informatics and its particular applications in the lab. However, formal educational programs in laboratory informatics are lacking. To set an educational agenda, laboratory informatics must be delineated as a field, and based on that delineation, a curriculum must be developed that meets the standards of higher education. To address these issues, this paper gives an overview of informatics, describes the context of laboratory i...
A Systematic Review of Healthcare Applications for Smartphones

Advanced mobile communications and portable computation are now combined in handheld devices called “smartphones”, which are also capable of running third-party software. The number of smartphone users is growing rapidly, including among healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to classify smartphone-based healthcare technologies as discussed in academic literature according to their functionalities, and summarize articles in each category. In April 2011, MEDLINE was searched to identify articles that discussed the design, development, evaluation, or use of smartphone-based software for healthcare professionals, medical or nursing students, or patients. A total of 55 articles discussing 83 applications were selected for this study from 2,894 articles initially obtained from the MEDLINE searches. A total of 83 applications were documented: 57 applications for healthcare professionals focusing on disease diagnosis (21), drug reference (6), medical calculators (8), literature search (6), clinical communication (3), Hospital Information System (HIS) client applications (4), medical training (2) and general healthcare applications (7); 11 applications for medical or nursing students focusing on medical education; and 15 applications for patients focusing on disease management with chronic illness (6), ENT-related (4), fall-related (3), and two other conditions (2). The disease diagnosis, drug reference, and medical calculator applications were reported as most useful by healthcare professionals and medical or nursing students. Many medical applications for smartphones have been developed and widely used by health professionals and patients. The use of smartphones is getting more attention in healthcare day by day. Medical applications make smartphones useful tools in the practice of evidence-based medicine at the point of care, in addition to their use in mobile clinical communication. Also, smartphones can play a very important role in patient education, disease self-management, and remote monitoring of patients.
Gender, Class and Generational Contexts for Consumption in Contemporary Chile

In contrast to common perceptions that individuals’ consumption choices are primarily motivated by their search for status or personal gratification, this article contends that gender, family and class significantly shape these decisions. The study integrates discussions of class and consumption with analyses of family monetary allocation and adaptive strategies to analyze interviews with working-class couples in Santiago, Chile. I found that men exercised overt and subtle forms of control over family monetary allocation, spending choices and earning strategies; adults’ perceived obligations towards children and elderly parents shaped their consumption decisions; and couples’ class-based perceptions of their limited financial resources led them to value thrift and skill in shopping. The analysis suggests the advantages of linking a focus on stratification with attention to meaningful social relations (based, for example, on the family, friendship networks or the workplace) in the study of consumption proc...
A three dimensional solution for laser-induced thermoelastic deformation of the layered medium

We have derived an axially symmetric three-dimensional analytical solution for thermoelastic deformations and stresses in a layered medium irradiated by a laser beam. The solution was obtained for Gaussian radial temperature profile on the upper surface of the elastic layer, in the assumption that temperature decreases exponentially with depth. The developed theoretical model was used to calculate distributions of laser-induced deformations and displacements in a medium containing single layer over a half-space. The influence of the shear elastic properties of the layer and half-space on the stress and strain distributions was evaluated. It was shown that tissue response depends significantly on the elastic contrast between the layer and the half-space. The proposed solution could be used in photomechanical models of laser ablation of inhomogeneous materials and tissues.
Electrical Characterization of Polysilicon-to-Silicon Interfaces

The structural properties of the polysilicon-to-silicon interface affect the electrical characteristics of devices with polysilicon contacts. The current characteristics of advanced bipolar transistors with polysilicon base and emitter contacts are very sensitive to the presence of interfacial oxides and segregated dopants. Hence, bipolar transistors provide an excellent tool for studying the effects of different interfaces on minority carrier transport. The transport of majority carriers through polysilicon-to-silicon interfaces is best investigated with contact resistance structures. In this paper, we review the correlation between interface morphology and the electrical properties of a variety of interfacial layers, ranging from native oxides to chemical oxides or thermal nitrides. Measurements on both npn transistors and contact resistance structures provide quantitative information on the trade-off between base current (i.e. current gain) and emitter resistance. Within this constraint, a variety of electrical characteristics can be obtained by tayloring the nature of the polysilicon-to-silicon interface to the device application of interest.
Modelling of Protein Surface Using Parallel Heterogeneous Architectures

A proper representation of protein surfaces is an important task in bioinformatics and biophysics. In a previous work we described a parallel workflow, based on the isosurface extraction and the CUDA architecture, able to produce high-resolution molecular surfaces based on the Van der Waals, Solvent Accessible, Richards-Connolly and Blobby definitions. In particular it is able to create surfaces composed by hundred millions triangles in less than 30 s using a Nvidia GTX 580, with speedup values up to 88. However in most application such number of triangles can be difficult to manage. In this paper we present an extension able to reduce the size of the surfaces by performing a simplification step, keeping however an high quality of the results. In particular the focus of the paper is on the efficient use of heterogeneous compute capabilities available on present workstations: the large surface produced using the CUDA device is progressively transferred and simplified on the host using the multicore CPU.
Toward patient-tailored summarization of lung cancer literature

As the volume of biomedical literature increases, it can be challenging for clinicians to stay up-to-date. Graphical summarization systems help by condensing knowledge into networks of entities and relations. However, existing systems present relations out of context, ignoring key details such as study population. To better support precision medicine, summarization systems should include such information to contextualize and tailor results to individual patients. This paper introduces "contextualized semantic maps" for patient-tailored graphical summarization of published literature. These efforts are demonstrated in the domain of driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A representation for relations and study population context in NSCLC was developed. An annotated gold standard for this representation was created from a set of 135 abstracts; Fl-score annotator agreement was 0.78 for context and 0.68 for relations. Visualizing the contextualized relations demonstrated that context facilitates the discovery of key findings that are relevant to patient-oriented queries.
Resistance of Musca domestica to common used insecticides and its control countermeasures in Zhenjiang city

Objective To learn the resistance situation of Musca domestica to common used insecticides and study its control countermeasures. Methods Topical application.Results Musca domestica had the highest resistance to cypermethrin.The LD_(50) was 0.223 3 μg per piece.It had high resistance to dichlorvos and permethrin.The LD_(50) was(0.181 1)μg per piece and 0.139 9 μg per piece.It had medium resistance to deltamethrin.The LD_(50) was(0.011 8 μg) per piece.Conclusion It was necessary to strengthen resistance monitor and use insecticides suitably,thus the resistance could be prevented or slowed.
Early Cytoskeletal Protein Modifications Precede Overt Structural Degeneration in the DBA/2J Mouse Model of Glaucoma

Axonal transport deficits precede structural loss in glaucoma and other neurodegenerations. Impairments in structural support, including modified cytoskeletal proteins and microtubule-destabilizing elements, could be initiating factors in glaucoma pathogenesis. We investigated the time course of changes in protein levels and post-translational modifications in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma. Using anterograde tract tracing of the retinal projection, we assessed major cytoskeletal and transported elements as a function of transport integrity in different stages of pathological progression. Using capillary-based electrophoresis, single- and multiplex immunosorbent assays, and immunofluorescence, we quantified hyperphosphorylated neurofilament-heavy chain, phosphorylated tau (ptau), calpain-mediated spectrin breakdown product (145/150kDa), β –tubulin, and amyloid-β42 proteins based on age and transport outcome to the superior colliculus (SC, the main retinal target in mice). Phosphorylated neurofilament-heavy chain (pNF-H) was elevated within the optic nerve (ON) and SC of 8-10 month-old DBA/2J mice, but was not evident in the retina until 12-15 months, suggesting that cytoskeletal modifications first appear in the distal retinal projection. As expected, higher pNF-H levels in the SC and retina were correlated with axonal transport deficits. Elevations in hyperphosphorylated tau (ptau) occurred in ON and SC between 3-8 month of age while retinal ptau accumulations occurred at 12-15 months in DBA/2J mice. In vitro co-immunoprecipitation experiments suggested increased affinity of ptau for the retrograde motor complex protein, dynactin. We observed a transport-related decrease of β-tubulin in ON of 10-12 month-old DBA/2J mice, suggesting destabilized microtubule array. Elevations in calpain-mediated spectrin breakdown product were seen in ON and SC at the earliest age examined, well before axonal transport loss is evident. Finally, transport-independent elevations of amyloid-β42, unlike pNF-H or ptau, occurred first in the retina of DBA/2J mice, and then progressed to SC. These data demonstrate distal-to-proximal progression of cytoskeletal modifications in the progression of glaucoma, with many of these changes occurring prior to complete loss of functional transport and axon degeneration. The earliest changes, such as elevated spectrin breakdown and amyloid-β levels, may make retinal ganglion cells susceptible to future stressors. As such, targeting modification of the axonal cytoskeleton in glaucoma may provide unique opportunities to slow disease progression.
Thermodynamic modeling of Mn(II) adsorption onto manganese oxidizing bacteria

Abstract Bacterial cell membranes display a strong affinity for a wide variety of aqueous metal cations and have the potential to affect the mass transport of these cations through adsorption reactions in water–rock systems. Prior studies have focused on determining the thermodynamic stability constants of heavy metals and radionuclides; however, the constants for Mn-bacterial surface complexes formed on manganese oxidizing bacteria remain unmeasured. We measured the rate, extent, and reversibility of Mn(II) adsorption onto a bacterial species capable of Mn-oxidization (Pseudomonas putida), and onto a bacterial species that does not promote Mn-oxidization (Bacillus subtilis). The extent of adsorption was measured as a function of both pH and metal loading in order to determine the thermodynamic stability constants of the Mn-bacterial surface complexes that form on the bacteria and to test whether Mn oxidizers exhibit unusual Mn adsorption behavior relative to species that do not oxidize Mn. Furthermore, we determined the effect of bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on Mn(II) adsorption by conducting experiments with and without EPS removal from the biomass. The experimental results indicated that Mn(II) adsorption onto B. subtilis and P. putida was rapid and reversible. The extent of Mn(II) adsorption onto both bacterial species increased with increasing pH, but P. putida adsorbed significantly more Mn(II) than did B. subtilis across most of the pH range studied. Both the adsorption measurements and the calculated stability constants indicate that P. putida, a Mn oxidizing bacterial species, exhibited significantly enhanced Mn adsorption relative to that observed for B. subtilis. The enhanced Mn(II) adsorption exhibited by P. putida suggests that bacteria may adapt the metal binding environments within their cell envelopes in order to optimize bioavailability of metals that are beneficial to their metabolism. Experiments conducted at low metal-loading conditions yielded stability constants for the Mn(II)-bacterial surface complexes that were less than or similar to those calculated for the high metal-loading conditions, suggesting that Mn(II)-sulfhydryl binding does not dominate under low metal loading conditions as it does for other metals. Removal of EPS molecules from P. putida led to significantly reduced extents of Mn(II) adsorption, suggesting that Mn(II)-EPS binding plays at least some role in the overall adsorption of Mn(II) onto P. putida biomass.
IGF-1 and bFGF reduce glutaric acid and 3-hydroxyglutaric acid toxicity in striatal cultures.

Glutaric acid (GA) and 3-hydroxyglutaric acid (3GA) are thought to contribute to the degeneration of the caudate and putamen that is seen in some children with glutaric acidaemia type I, a metabolic disorder caused by a glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. This study assessed the neurotoxicity of GA and 3GA (0–50 mmol/L) compared to quinolinic acid (QUIN) in striatal and cortical cultures. All three acids were neurotoxic in a dose-dependent manner; however, GA and 3GA were both more toxic than QUIN. The neurotoxic effects of low concentrations of GA or 3GA were additive to QUIN toxicity. A series of hormones and growth factors were tested for protection against GA and 3GA toxicity. Insulin (5–500 μU/ml), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF; 10 ng/ml), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1; 50 ng/ml), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; 10 ng/ml), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF; 10 ng/ml), and two glutamate antagonists were evaluated in brain cultures to which 7 mmol/L GA or 3GA were added. GA and 3GA neurotoxicities were prevented by bFGF. Attenuation of 3GA-induced neurotoxicity was seen with insulin (5 μU/ml) and IGF-1. BDNF and GDNF had no effects on neuronal survival. Glutamate antagonists MK801 (10 μmol/L) and NBQX (10 μmol/L) failed to prevent GA or 3GA neurotoxicity. We conclude that GA and 3GA are neurotoxic in cultures of embryonic rat striatum and cortex. Striatal neurons were rescued from death by bFGF and IGF-1 but not by glutamate antagonist, suggesting that toxicity in this embryonic system is not necessarily mediated by glutamate receptors.
Fibrolamellar carcinoma: A histologically unique tumor with unique molecular findings

Fibrolamellar carcinoma is a unique type of hepatocellular carcinoma with a distinctive predilection for young patients without underlying liver disease, characteristic large neoplastic cells with intervening, dense fibrosis, co-expression of keratin 7 and CD68 and activation of protein kinase A (most often by formation of DNAJB1-PRKACA). Fibrolamellar carcinoma has a similar prognosis to conventional hepatocellular carcinomas arising in non-cirrhotic livers. The current American Joint Cancer Committee staging system does not provide optimal stratification of patients with fibrolamellar carcinoma and an alternate systems should be considered in the future. The only effective treatment for fibrolamellar carcinoma is complete resection. Novel therapies may be on the horizon as investigation into the molecular biology of fibrolamellar carcinoma continues.
Estimating the location of baleen whale calls using dual streamers to support mitigation procedures in seismic reflection surveys

In order to mitigate against possible impacts of seismic surveys on baleen whales it is important to know as much as possible about the presence of whales within the vicinity of seismic operations. This study expands on previous work that analyzes single seismic streamer data to locate nearby calling baleen whales with a grid search method that utilizes the propagation angles and relative arrival times of received signals along the streamer. Three dimensional seismic reflection surveys use multiple towed hydrophone arrays for imaging the structure beneath the seafloor, providing an opportunity to significantly improve the uncertainty associated with streamer-generated call locations. All seismic surveys utilizing airguns conduct visual marine mammal monitoring surveys concurrent with the experiment, with powering-down of seismic source if a marine mammal is observed within the exposure zone. This study utilizes data from power-down periods of a seismic experiment conducted with two 8-km long seismic hydrophone arrays by the R/V Marcus G. Langseth near Alaska in summer 2011. Simulated and experiment data demonstrate that a single streamer can be utilized to resolve left-right ambiguity because the streamer is rarely perfectly straight in a field setting, but dual streamers provides significantly improved locations. Both methods represent a dramatic improvement over the existing Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) system for detecting low frequency baleen whale calls, with ~60 calls detected utilizing the seismic streamers, zero of which were detected using the current R/V Langseth PAM system. Furthermore, this method has the potential to be utilized not only for improving mitigation processes, but also for studying baleen whale behavior within the vicinity of seismic operations.
The long-term effects of weight cycling are inconclusive

Source Citation National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity. Weight cycling. JAMA. 1994 Oct 19;272:1196-202.
Interfacial and Chemical Properties of Pt/TiO2, Pd/TiO2, and Pt/GaN Catalytic Nanodiodes Influencing Hot Electron Flow

The influence of physical and chemical properties of Pt/TiO2, Pd/TiO2, and Pt/GaN metal−semiconductor Schottky diodes on the yield of collected hot electron flow (number of hot electrons per produc...
Innovative solution for analyzing wafer-level chip scale package

Wafer Level Chip Scale Packaging (WLCSP) varies in die size — length, width and height. It also have different number bumps per package which depends on the functionality of the device. Conventional way of doing failure analysis on WLCSP was very challenging from handling the unit and up to doing fault isolation, typically this results to a long cycle time in analyzing it. This paper aims to develop an effective solution to analyze WLCSP and reduce the cycle time of doing failure analysis.
Implementation of an Ontology-Based Approach to Enable Agility in Kit Building Applications

The effort described in this paper attempts to integrate agility aspects in the “Agility Performance of Robotic Systems” (APRS) project, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technol...
Osteomyelitis of the odontoid process with associated retropharyngeal abscess: A case report

Abstract Objective To report an interesting and informative case of a unique clinical entity. Methods Individual case report. Results We report a case of a 58-year-old female who presented with ten days of intractable neck pain and acutely worsening mental status. Her past medical history included type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hypothyroidism. Initial laboratory workup revealed leukocytosis, and elevated CRP and ESR. CT scan of the cervical spine showed prominence of the retropharyngeal soft tissues. A subsequent MRI showed enhancing, lytic changes of the odontoid process with surrounding edema and soft tissue inflammatory changes, as well as a discrete fluid collection in the left anterior prevertebral space. Due to worsening airway compromise, the patient was intubated and taken to the operating room for evacuation of the retropharyngeal fluid collection. Intraoperatively, there was noted to be a small defect in the posterior nasopharyngeal mucosa, with active purulent drainage. Following decompression of the retropharyngeal abscess, the patient slowly improved, and remained on an extended course of IV antibiotics before being discharged to a rehab facility. Conclusion Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis rarely occurs in the cervical spine, and only a handful of reports have described involvement of the odontoid process. Diagnosis of this rare entity is often delayed due to the vague presenting symptoms and location deep within the soft tissues of the neck. Although retropharyngeal abscess most commonly occurs as a complication of an upper respiratory tract infection, this case demonstrates the possibility of an underlying vertebral infection.
Patterns of Encounter and Integration: Navigating Culture in Conflict Resolution Capacity-Building

This chapter summarizes the cultural contexts encountered in these mediation innovation projects such as societal transitions and reforms, cultural shifts, and norm diffusion, as well as specific approaches used in training and collaboration. The authors also identify common emergent cultural themes, hybrid practices, and aspirational models of mediation developing in each context. The chapter concludes with challenges, values and ethics, and critical lessons in localization and the promotion of increased learning and empowerment.
Rosetta Protein Structure Prediction from Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting Mass Spectrometry Data

In recent years mass spectrometry-based covalent labeling techniques such as hydroxyl radical footprinting (HRF) have emerged as valuable structural biology techniques, yielding information on protein tertiary structure. These data, however, are not sufficient to predict protein structure unambiguously, as they provide information only on the relative solvent exposure of certain residues. Despite some recent advances, no software currently exists that can utilize covalent labeling mass spectrometry data to predict protein tertiary structure. We have developed the first such tool, which incorporates mass spectrometry derived protection factors from HRF labeling as a new centroid score term for the Rosetta scoring function to improve the prediction of protein tertiary structures. We tested our method on a set of four soluble benchmark proteins with known crystal structures and either published HRF experimental results or internally acquired data. Using the HRF labeling data, we rescored large decoy sets of ...
Mapping Hot Spots of Breast Cancer Mortality in the United States: Place Matters for Blacks and Hispanics

The goals of this study were to identify geographic and racial/ethnic variation in breast cancer mortality, and evaluate whether observed geographic differences are explained by county-level characteristics. We analyzed data on breast cancer deaths among women in 3,108 contiguous United States (US) counties from years 2000 through 2015. We applied novel geospatial methods and identified hot spot counties based on breast cancer mortality rates. We assessed differences in county-level characteristics between hot spot and other counties using Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Spearman correlation, and stratified all analysis by race/ethnicity. Among all women, 80 of 3,108 (2.57%) contiguous US counties were deemed hot spots for breast cancer mortality with the majority located in the southern region of the US (72.50%, p value < 0.001). In race/ethnicity-specific analyses, 119 (3.83%) hot spot counties were identified for NH-Black women, with the majority being located in southern states (98.32%, p value < 0.001). Among Hispanic women, there were 83 (2.67%) hot spot counties and the majority was located in the southwest region of the US (southern = 61.45%, western = 33.73%, p value < 0.001). We did not observe definitive geographic patterns in breast cancer mortality for NH-White women. Hot spot counties were more likely to have residents with lower education, lower household income, higher unemployment rates, higher uninsured population, and higher proportion indicating cost as a barrier to medical care. We observed geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer mortality: NH-Black and Hispanic breast cancer deaths were more concentrated in southern, lower SES counties.
Branding as a Neoliberal Project

Neoliberalism was introduced to Turkey alongside the 1980 military coup. But it is often discussed with reference to the 2000s, especially as a project of the AKP government. There are three reasons for it. First, neoliberalism has been transnationally consolidated as a hegemonic mode of capitalism over the last 10 to 15 years. Second, when the 1980 military coup happened under the leadership of General Kenan Evren, the military framed the intervention as a requirement for bringing about stability and security. In the name of stability, the military also crippled the trade unions, favoring right-wing nationalist ones over the unions on the left, and brought the 10% parliamentary threshold to the electoral system. Third, With the advent of the AKP governments, we see the victory, based on the 10% parliamentary threshold, of a strong majority for four consecutive general elections, and we see that such “stability” has brought with it tremendous power that has enabled the implementation of the neoliberal logic across a number of fields, including the health care system, and the distribution of environmental resources and property.
Tracheal Resection for Thyroid or Esophageal Cancer

The goals of major resection of the trachea or carina for malignant invasion by thyroid or esophageal carcinomas should be the opportunity for cure or for the palliation of symptoms related to these secondary tracheal neoplasms. Due to the differences in the natural history of these two distinct malignant processes, airway resection and reconstruction should usually only be considered for tracheal invasion by adjacent thyroid carcinomas. Major airway resection for locally invasive carcinomas of the esophagus is almost never indicated.
Herpes simplex virus keratitis mimicking Acanthamoeba keratitis: a clinicopathological correlation

A 36-year-old male, soft contact lens wearer was referred by his primary ophthalmologist for corneal ulcer of the right eye (OD), which was persistent despite topical fluoroquinolone therapy for 1 month. A ring-shaped infiltrate typically seen in Acanthamoeba infection was noted, and topical therapy with chlorhexidine and polyhexamethylene biguanide was initiated. However, the patient’s condition deteriorated over the next several weeks; thus, diagnostic and therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was performed. The postoperative immunohistochemical analysis suggested a diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis. The patient ultimately improved after initiation of oral valacyclovir following penetrating keratoplasty. We report a case of a commonly encountered clinical entity, HSV keratitis, with an atypical clinical presentation, masquerading as Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Chlorella vulgaris cell disruption using copper sulfate

This study evaluated the feasibility of using copper sulfate as an agent for Chlorella vulgaris cell disruption. About 70% of the cells in a C. vulgaris suspension at ∼0.2 g/L concentration were di...
An Analysis of Lanier's Analysis of Beyond Creating

In the spring, 1986 issue of Studies in Art Education, a lead article appeared by Vincent Lanier expressing his dismay over the theoretical positions found in Beyond Creating: The Place of Art in American Schools. Lanier's article is titled "To Eat Your Cake and Have It, Too: A Response to Beyond Creating" (Lanier, 1986). Lanier finds two sections of the publication seriously flawed and concludes his article with the following paragraph: "I am disappointed that an organization as resourceful and sophisticated as the Getty Trust would endorse published materials with conceptual problems of the scale noted above. Insofar as the two sections reviewed here represent it, Beyond Creating is not an adequate statement of the discipline-based approach to art teaching being sponsored by the Getty program. It lacks clarity in its understanding of purpose in art education; it exaggerates beyond good sense its view of the benefits of the visual arts; and it persists in propounding ideas that should have been eliminated from our theoretical vocabulary. Fortunately, the central theme of the volume that art teaching should move toward DBAE is a thoroughly progressive direction. I have no doubt that the Getty program will, in time, deal with the issues raised here." (Lanier, 1986 p. 114) Despite the upturn in tone in Lanier's last two sentences, he leaves no doubt that he believes the errors in these statements seriously undermine Getty's good intentions. Since I authored one of the two sections that Lanier is concerned about, I would like to examine in some detail what worries him. My section, titled "Why Art in Education and Why Art Education", has, he believes, three serious conceptual errors. I shall quote him directly: "The first of these is that 'the arts represent the highest of human achievements'. The reader has no recourse but to take this assertion literally; it is stated somewhat bluntly and it is repeated three more times in the section. The assertion is repeated a fifth time in somewhat altered form: 'as a culture we regard the arts as among the highest of human achievements.' (p. 65, emphasis Lanier's). Since there is a significant difference between this statement and the four others in the section, the discrepancy is an error either in writing or in editing. In either case, it is confusing to the reader." (Lanier, 1986 p. 111) Lanier believes that "there is a significant difference" between the statement that says the arts represent the highest of human achievements and the four others which say they are among the highest of human achievements. Now I regard such a criticism as a quibble. But if one really wants to split logical hairs, it is Lanier who is confused. To claim that something is the best
New expressions and calibration strategies for Karafillis and Boyce (1993) yield criterion

Abstract New expressions in terms of stress components of the Karafillis and Boyce (1993) yield criterion are derived. First, it is demonstrated that the isotropic version of this criterion is a homogeneous polynomial in J 2 and J 3 2 , where J2 and J3 are the invariants of the stress deviator. Moreover, it is shown that irrespective of the value of the interpolation parameter, it has the same mathematical expression as Hershey–Hosford isotropic yield criterion. Making use of these results, new expressions of the Karafillis and Boyce (1993) yield function for orthotropic BCC and FCC materials are derived. This enables to demonstrate that Barlat et al. (1991) and Karafillis and Boyce (1993) orthotropic criteria have the same mathematical form. Most importantly, the benefits of using these new expressions of the Karafillis and Boyce (1993) orthotropic yield criterion for the evaluation of the anisotropy coefficients are demonstrated. It is shown that these coefficients can be evaluated by solving simple algebraic systems of equations involving only experimental flow stresses, or alternatively involving only Lankford coefficients for three orientations. This makes the parameterization of an advanced non-quadratic criterion reliable even when the available mechanical test data are limited.
Effect of lowest harmonic rank on fundamental-frequency difference limens varies with fundamental frequency

This study investigated the relationship between fundamental frequency difference limens (F0DLs) and the lowest harmonic number present over a wide range of F0s (30–2000 Hz) for 12-component harmonic complex tones that were presented in either sine or random phase. For fundamental frequencies (F0s) between 100 and 400 Hz, a transition from low (∼1%) to high (∼5%) F0DLs occurred as the lowest harmonic number increased from about seven to ten, in line with earlier studies. At lower and higher F0s, the transition between low and high F0DLs occurred at lower harmonic numbers. The worsening performance at low F0s was reasonably well predicted by the expected decrease in spectral resolution below about 500 Hz. At higher F0s, the degradation in performance at lower harmonic numbers could not be predicted by changes in spectral resolution but remained relatively good (<2%–3%) in some conditions, even when all harmonics were above 8 kHz, confirming that F0 can be extracted from harmonics even when temporal envelope or fine-structure cues are weak or absent.
Navigating the wildfire–pandemic interface: public perceptions of COVID-19 and the 2020 wildfire season in arizona

COVID-19 has complicated wildfire management and public safety for the 2020 fire season. It is unclear whether COVID-19 has impacted the ability of residents in the wildland–urban interface to prepare for and evacuate from wildfire, or the extent to which residents feel their household’s safety has been affected. Several areas with high wildfire risk are also experiencing record numbers of COVID-19 cases, including the state of Arizona in the southwestern United States. We conducted a mixed-mode survey of households in close proximity to two recent wildfires in rural Arizona to better understand whether residents living in the wildland–urban interface perceive COVID-19 as a factor in wildfire safety. Preliminary data suggest that the current challenges around collective action to address wildfire risk may be further exacerbated due to COVID-19, and that the current pandemic has potentially widened existing disparities in household capacity to conduct wildfire risk mitigation activities in the wildland–urban interface. Proactive planning for wildfire has also increased perceived ability to practice safe distancing from others during evacuation, highlighting the benefits that household planning for wildfire can have on other concurrent hazards. Parallels in both the wildfire and pandemic literature highlight vast opportunities for future research that can expand upon and advance our findings.
The Incidence of Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients With AML Treated With a Hypomethylating Agent.

Abstract Background Newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who receive induction with a hypomethylating agent (HMA) are often neutropenic with an increased risk for invasive fungal infections (IFIs). This study analyzed the incidence and risk factors for IFIs in these patients, evaluated clinical patterns in antifungal prophylaxis, and assessed the diagnostic utility of tests in this setting. Patients and Methods We studied 117 newly diagnosed patients with AML treated with HMAs at our center, divided into groups based on concern for IFI (cIFI: all possible, probable, and proven IFIs) versus no concern for IFI. The Fisher exact test compared patients with cIFI versus without, and a multivariable logistic regression model estimated odds for cIFI. Results Sixty-seven (57%) patients had cIFI, with 48 possible IFIs, 17 probable, and 2 proven cases. There was no difference in incidence based on home zip code, but the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was highly associated with cIFI (P = .001), as was male gender (P = .01). Neutropenia at treatment initiation was borderline in significance (P = .08). In diagnostics, 9% of patients had positive serum fungal markers, and 30 patients underwent bronchoscopy, with only 27% of cases yielding positive results. There was a difference in treatment regimens between patients receiving antifungal prophylaxis with mold coverage versus without mold coverage with respect to cIFI (P = .04). Conclusions cIFI in patients with AML treated with HMAs remains significant, especially in males and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who were found to be at higher risk. This may prompt clinicians to consider anti-mold prophylaxis in this setting.
Paranthropus through the looking glass

Most research and public interest in human origins focuses on taxa that are likely to be our ancestors. There must have been genetic continuity between modern humans and the common ancestor we share with chimpanzees and bonobos, and we want to know what each link in this chain looked like and how it behaved. However, the clear evidence for taxic diversity in the human (aka hominin) clade means that we also have close relatives who are not our ancestors (1). Two papers in PNAS focus on the behavior and paleoenvironmental context of Paranthropus boisei , a distinctive and long-extinct nonancestral relative that lived alongside our early Homo ancestors in eastern Africa between just less than 3 Ma and just over 1 Ma. Both papers use stable isotopes to track diet during a largely unknown, but likely crucial, period in our evolutionary history. The first fossil evidence of P. boisei , two upper milk teeth, a very large molar, and a tiny canine, was discovered in 1955 at Olduvai Gorge, in Tanzania (2). The mystery of the owner of the unusual teeth was solved in 1959 when Mary Leakey recognized fragments of a fossil hominin cranium eroding from a hillside. The Olduvai Hominid (OH) 5 cranium had a small ( ca. 500 cm3) brain—not much bigger than that of a gorilla and about a third the size of that of a modern human—a flat and broad face, large attachment areas for chewing muscles, small incisors and canines, and exceptionally large premolar and molar tooth crowns. Louis Leakey proposed a new taxon, Zinjanthropus boisei (3) for OH 5, but within a few years the new genus was dropped in favor of Australopithecus , or Paranthropus ; the latter is our preference. More evidence of P. boisei came in 1964 with the discovery … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: bernardawood{at}gmail.com. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Survival of Mycobacterium bovis during forage ensiling

The objective of this study was to determine if MB could survive the ensiling process of feedstuffs that are commonly used to feed cattle in Northeast Michigan.
Meal Eating Characteristics of Patients with Gastroparesis.

Patients with gastroparesis often consume only small meals due to early satiety. (1) Describe meal eating characteristics of patients with gastroparesis; (2) Relate meal eating characteristics to symptoms, gastric emptying (GE), and body weight. Patients with gastroparesis filled out questionnaires including Patient Assessment of Upper GI Symptoms (PAGI-SYM), and questionnaire about meal habits and body weight. Patients underwent gastric emptying scintigraphy. Of 192 gastroparesis patients, 93% endorsed early satiety (ES) with severity of 3.7 ± 1.5 (scored from 0–5) and 93% endorsed postprandial fullness (PPF) with severity of 3.9 ± 1.3. Time spent consuming meals averaged 13.6 ± 17.7 min. Main reasons patients stopped eating were fullness (61%), nausea (48%), and abdominal pain (31%). Time spent eating correlated inversely with severity of nausea (r = −0.18, p < 0.05), stomach fullness (r = −0.21, p < 0.01), PPF (r = −0.23, p < 0.01), loss of appetite (r = −0.34, p < 0.01). Postprandial fullness lasted for 316 ± 344 min. Duration of PPF correlated with nausea (r = 0.30, p < 0.01), retching (r = 0.29, p < 0.01), vomiting (r = 0.28, p < 0.01), stomach fullness (r = 0.33, p < 0.01), loss of appetite (r = 0.35, p < 0.01), and constipation (r = 0.27, p < 0.01). Underweight patients had increased inability to finish a normal size meal (p < 0.01), loss of appetite (p < 0.01), and lower abdominal pain/discomfort (p < 0.05). Patients had lost 3.06 ± 10.60 kgs from their baseline weight. Weight loss correlated with nausea (r = 0.26, p < 0.01), ES (r = 0.30, p < 0.01), loss of appetite (r = 0.28, p < 0.01). Early satiety and postprandial fullness were common with high severity. The main reasons for meal cessation were early satiety, nausea, and abdominal pain. Body weight and change in body weight were associated with symptoms of gastroparesis.