cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-F-T-680: Radiobiological Analysis of the Impact of Daily Patient Deformation and Setup Variations Through the Use of the Cone Beam CT and Deformable Image Registration in Lung Cancer IMRT

Purpose: To estimate the dose distributions delivered to the patient in each treatment fraction using deformable image registration (DIR) and assess the radiobiological impact of the inter-fraction variations due to patient deformation and setup. Methods: The work is based on the cone beam CT (CBCT) images and treatment plans of two lung cancer patients. Both patients were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to 66Gy in 2Gy/fraction. The treatment plans were exported from the treatment planning system (TPS) to the Velocity AI where DIR was performed and the same deformation matrix was used for the deformation of the planned dose distribution and organ contours to each CBCT dataset. A radiobiological analysis was performed based on the radiobiological parameters of the involved organs at risk (OARs) and planning target volume (PTV). Using the complication free tumor control probability (P+) index, differences in P+ were observed between each CBCT as well as between CBCT and planning dose distributions. Results: The optimal CBCT P? values ranged from 91.6 % to 94.8 % for patient #1 and from 88.8 % to 90.6 % for patient #2. At the dose level of the clinical prescription, the CBCT P+ values ranged from 80.3% to 80.7% for patient #1 and from 80.7% to 81.0% for the patient #2. The planning CT P+ values were 81.0% and 80.7% for the two patients, respectively. These differences emphasize the significance of using the radiobiological analysis when assessing changes in the dose distribution due to the tumor motion and lung deformations. Conclusion: Daily setup variations yield to differences in the actual dose delivered versus the planned one. The observed differences were rather small when only looking at the dosimetric comparison of the dose distributions, however the radiobiology analysis was able to detect clinically relevant differences among the studied dose distributions.
TH-AB-201-12: Using Machine Log-Files for Treatment Planning and Delivery QA

Purpose: To determine the segment reduction and dose resolution necessary for machine log-files to effectively replace current phantom-based patient-specific quality assurance, while minimizing computational cost. Methods: Elekta's Log File Convertor R3.2 records linac delivery parameters (dose rate, gantry angle, leaf position) every 40ms. Five VMAT plans [4 H&N, 1 Pulsed Brain] comprised of 2 arcs each were delivered on the ArcCHECK phantom. Log-files were reconstructed in Pinnacle on the phantom geometry using 1/2/3/4° control point spacing and 2/3/4mm dose grid resolution. Reconstruction effectiveness was quantified by comparing 2%/2mm gamma passing rates of the original and log-file plans. Modulation complexity scores (MCS) were calculated for each beam to correlate reconstruction accuracy and beam modulation. Percent error in absolute dose for each plan-pair combination (log-file vs. ArcCHECK, original vs. ArcCHECK, log-file vs. original) was calculated for each arc and every diode greater than 10% of the maximum measured dose (per beam). Comparing standard deviations of the three plan-pair distributions, relative noise of the ArcCHECK and log-file systems was elucidated. Results: The original plans exhibit a mean passing rate of 95.1±1.3%. The eight more modulated HN log-file dose errors were 0.72±3.06% higher than the original plans – significantly less noisy. Conclusion: For log-file reconstructed VMAT arcs, 1° control point spacing and 2mm dose resolution is recommended, however, less modulated arcs may allow less stringent reconstructions. Following the aforementioned reconstruction recommendations, the log-file technique is capable of detecting delivery errors with equivalent accuracy and less noise than ArcCHECK QA. I am funded by an Elekta Research Grant
A structural, functional, and computational analysis of BshA, the first enzyme in the bacillithiol biosynthesis pathway

Bacillithiol is a compound produced by several Gram-positive bacterial species, including the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus anthracis. It is involved in maintaining cellular redox balance as well as the destruction of reactive oxygen species and harmful xenobiotic agents, including the antibiotic fosfomycin. BshA, BshB, and BshC are the enzymes involved in bacillithiol biosynthesis. BshA is a retaining glycosyltransferase responsible for the first committed step in bacillithiol production, namely the addition of N-acetylglucosamine to l-malate. Retaining glycosyltransferases like BshA are proposed to utilize an SNi-like reaction mechanism in which leaving group departure and nucleophilic attack occur on the same face of the hexose. However, significant questions regarding the details of how BshA and similar enzymes accommodate their substrates and facilitate catalysis persist. Here we report X-ray crystallographic structures of BshA from Bacillus subtilis 168 bound with UMP and/or Glc...
Establishing Performance Guarantees for Behavior-Based Robot Missions Using an SMT Solver

In prior work [9] we developed an approach to formally representing behavior-based multi-robot programs, and the uncertain environments in which they operate, as process networks. We automatically extract a set of probabilistic equations governing program execution in that environment using a static analysis module called VIPARS, and solve these using a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) to establish whether stated performance guarantees hold for the program in that environment. In this paper we address the challenge of expanding the range of performance guarantees that are possible by using an SMT-solver instead of a DBN. We translate flow functions, which are recursive probabilistic expressions that capture program execution and that are generated by VIPARS, to formulas in the SMT-LIBv2 language. We use the dReal SMT-solver with a semi-decision procedure to check the satisfiability of the formulas. The experimental results show that our SMT approach succeeds in establishing performance guarantees for behavior-based robot missions at least as well as the DBN approach, but also for an example not possible with the DBN approach. Although the work presented here used VIPARS static analysis to generate flow functions, the approach we have taken could be used to leverage SMT for any similar probabilistic system.
Magnetic structure of NiS 2 -x Se x

${\mathrm{NiS}}_{2\ensuremath{-}2x}{\mathrm{Se}}_{x}$ is revisited to determine the magnetic structure using neutron diffraction and magnetic representational analysis. Upon cooling, the insulating parent compound, ${\mathrm{NiS}}_{2}$, becomes antiferromagnetic with two successive magnetic transitions. The first transition $(M1)$ occurs at ${T}_{N}\ensuremath{\sim}39\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\text{K}$ with ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{1}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{1}$ symmetry and a magnetic propagation vector of $k=(000)$. The second transition $(M2)$ occurs at ${T}_{N}\ensuremath{\sim}30\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\text{K}$ with $k=(0.5,0.5,0.5)$ and a ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{1}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{2}$ symmetry with face-centered translations, giving rise to four possible magnetic domains. With doping, the system becomes metallic. The transition to the $M2$ state is suppressed prior to $x\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}=0.4$ while the $M1$ state persists. The $M1$ magnetic structure gradually vanishes by $x\ensuremath{\sim}0.8$ at a lower concentration than previously reported. The details of the magnetic structures are provided.
Systems Ecology, Operations Research and Gerontology: The Making of Strange Bedfellows

Biological gerontology is an ecclectic discipline which has drawn upon several areas of the life sciences to describe and explain aging in living systems. However, in the hierarchy of biological systems gerontologists have largely restricted their interests to the levels from the biomolecule to the population and have integrated those areas of biology which address those levels. Other areas of study that could also contribute to gerontology have received less attention. In this paper I introduce two of those areas: systems ecology and operations research. Further, I present parallels between these disciplines and gerontology and describe ways in which concepts and techniques used by them may aid gerontology. Lastly, I propose a simple model describing the interrelationship between a process or structure undergoing change with age and its effects on a system. My intent in this paper is to address the question, “In what ways is aging a characteristic of systems in general?” by applying knowledge of systems ecology, operations research and gerontology. This paper is a result of my synthesis of ideas from these three disciplines.
The struggle of a marginalized community for ethnic renewal: the whale hunters of Neah Bay

The Makah Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribe located in the US state of Washington. The whale is deeply embedded in Makah culture, and many believe that resuming the whale hunt could have...
Mechanistic and kinetic studies of elemental mercury oxidation over a RuO2/rutile TiO2 catalyst

Mechanistic and kinetic studies of the heterogeneous oxidation of elemental mercury (Hg(0)) vapor by HCl gas over a RuO2/rutile TiO2 catalyst were conducted. It was found that under reaction conditions, chemically adsorbed HCl was dissociated on the catalyst surface, and the formation of a Ru–H bond was observed by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The active chlorine species on the surface generated from HCl was found to be responsible for the Hg(0) oxidation. The intensity of the Ru–H IR signal could be used as an indicator of the available surface chlorine. Based on the in situ FTIR and performance results, Hg(0) oxidation over the RuO2/TiO2 catalyst was proposed to follow an Eley–Rideal followed by Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism where HCl is an adsorbed species and reacts with gas-phase Hg(0) to form HgCl(ad), then HgCl(ad) reacts with another Cl(ad) to form HgCl2(ad). A steady-state kinetic study was conducted to determine an intrinsic reaction kinetic expression for Hg(0) oxidation over the catalyst under HCl, NH3 and SO2 gases for the first time. The kinetic expression could reasonably predict the Hg(0) oxidation performance under the competitive adsorption of NH3 and SO2 gases.
Infestation of Wild Fruit by Drosophila suzukii Surrounding Maine Wild Blueberry Fields1

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is an invasive vinegar fly that attacks a large variety of soft fruits including wild blueberries in Maine. Wild blueberry fields in Maine are commonly surrounded by woodland edges that contain wild fruit. These edges are important refugia as they provide the fly with needed shade and moisture during the hottest parts of the day. The wild fruit in these wooded edges are also potential alternative hosts for D. suzukii. We surveyed wild fruit along blueberry fields to determine the types of fruit present and measured D. suzukii infestation levels in surveyed fruit. We also measured the number of adult D. suzukii along field edges and the level of infestation in the wild blueberry crop. Drosophila suzukii was found in nine out of seventeen surveyed wild fruit species along field edges. Our results suggest a correlation between wild fruit infestation levels and adult fly densities in the crop fields. Blueberry fields with higher levels of wild fruit infestation also showed higher levels of adult D. suzukii trap captures in the commercial blueberry fields. These wild fruit hosts may allow D. suzukii to increase its population abundance prior to moving into commercial blueberry fields.
Algal nitrogen and phosphorus content drive inter- and intraspecific differences in herbivore grazing on a Caribbean reef

Abstract Identifying how herbivorous reef fish select resources is an important aspect of understanding how coral reef communities are structured. Ecological stoichiometry, built around the mass balance of elements, necessitates that to build tissue, maintain growth, and reproduce, animals must maintain a homeostatic balance of elements within their body. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are abundant in animal tissue relative to most plants and algae. Accordingly, N and P are often limiting for herbivores, which should therefore focus their foraging efforts on resources rich in these elements. Here, we explore how variation in N and P concentrations in algae impact herbivore resource selectivity on a coral reef. We conducted feeding assays using a brown alga from the genus Sargassum grown under elevated nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) or both (N + P). Overall bite rates were higher on N enriched, but not P enriched, assays but individual foraging efforts varied among species and fish size. Individual Sparisoma aurofrenatum increased the number of bites taken per feeding foray on N enriched algae while Acanthurus coeruleus and Sparisoma rubripinne fed more on P enriched assays. Sparisoma chrysopterum increased their foraging effort on both N and P enriched assays. However, the influence of algal nutrient content on foraging effort declined with increasing fish size, such that full grown fishes did not respond to assay nutrient content. Overall, preference for enriched algae resulted in ~ 20% more consumption of N and N + P enriched algae relative to unenriched controls. Our study is the first to link the elemental nutrient content of algae to species-specific feeding decisions of reef herbivores and demonstrates the utility of ecological stoichiometry to explore herbivory on coral reefs.
Specialty Foods for Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract This review evaluates the effects of specialized food diets for children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Children with CF have special dietary needs that can be met by adding specialty foods. Some dietary needs that children with cystic fibrosis encounter include the need for more calories to balance the extra energy it takes to breathe. Another dietary need is extra vitamins and antioxidants to help fight off lung infections. The effects on the dietary needs of children with CF are also described in detail. Issues associated with diet leading to growth and daily function, like CF-related diabetes, are important factors affecting novel food diets. The benefits and risks of specialty foods and specific diets are reviewed. For example, the benefits of blueberries include their antioxidant components and low sugar content. However, the risk of eating too many blueberries is that the low sugar content can be dangerous for children with diabetes. Also, the results of clinical studies are discussed in terms of specific foods that pertain to the diets of children with CF. A table documents the specialty foods and diets, as well as a brief outline of the benefits and risks of each food and diet. For example, carrot juice is included in the table, noting the high amount of bioaccessible provitamin A as a benefit, and the high sugar content as a risk. Another example included in the table is avocado, which has the benefits of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and potassium. The risks involved with eating avocado is that it is high in protein, so it may require an extra dose of pancreatic enzyme to assist in digestion.
Emergence of Nervous Coordination

My topic, the emergence of order on the behavioral level, has two aspects. Since behavior emerges from the physiological activities of the nervous system, neurogenesis and the genesis of behavior are inseparable. The development of organization in the nervous system, in turn, has to be dealt with in terms of morphogenesis, cytogenesis, including ultrastructure, and physiological activity. Observation has to be supplemented by the analytical experiment. Such a multidisciplinary approach to our problem ranging from the behavioral to the ultrastructural level, is the great challenge for the future. It is beset with difficulties, not the least of which is the matter of communication between investigators in these different areas. A more immediate difficulty for my topic, apart from the fragmentary nature of the available material, is the fact that the relations between neurogenesis and the origin of behavior are by no means as straightforward and parallel as one might have expected. I shall attempt to deal with some of the intricacies of these relationships in a rather general way, but my old informant, the chick embryo, will supply most of the illustrations.
Social Support for Breastfeeding in the Era of mHealth: A Content Analysis.

Background:Several barriers to successful breastfeeding exist, including a lack of support from peers or professionals. With the emergence of mobile health (mHealth) tools to provide additional bre...
Assessing the Normative Differences Between Formula Apportionment and Separate Accounting

Formula apportionment and transfer pricing are the two common responses by governments to the problem of apportioning the income of multi-state businesses in order to calculate state by state tax liabilities. This paper grounds the current debate over the efficacy of these two methods by arguing first, that the fundamental differences are due to adverse selection and moral hazard problems, and second, that the fundamental economic differences are tied to how each method influences firm investment and output decisions. In this context, each method for apportioning corporate income to each state generates its own set of economic inefficiencies. This paper argues for the importance of a normative comparison of formula apportionment and transfer pricing to assess their economic inefficiencies and describes some recent research that quantifies the differences between these two methods.
Training Tips: Tools to Teach Pipetting in the Classroom and Lab

Consistent and accurate manipulation of liquids is essential for many biology experiments. Teaching these skills is challenging in the laboratory. I have developed Training Tips, a homemade teaching tool to train students to use micropipettes in the classroom and laboratory. Training Tips provide obvious visual targets that enable inexperienced students to know immediately if they are pipetting accurately.
How often is Euler's totient a perfect power?

Abstract Fix an integer k ≥ 2 . We investigate the number of n ≤ x for which φ ( n ) is a perfect kth power. If we assume plausible conjectures on the distribution of smooth shifted primes, then the count of such n is at least x / L ( x ) 1 + o ( 1 ) , as x → ∞ , where L ( x ) = exp ⁡ ( log ⁡ x ⋅ log ⁡ log ⁡ log ⁡ x / log ⁡ log ⁡ x ) . This lower bound is implicit in work of Banks–Friedlander–Pomerance–Shparlinski. We prove — unconditionally — that x / L ( x ) 1 + o ( 1 ) serves as an upper bound. In fact, we establish this same bound for the count of n ≤ x for which φ ( n ) is squarefull. The proof builds on methods recently introduced by the author to study “popular subsets” for Euler's function.
Heat recirculating reactors: Fundamental research and applications

Abstract Worldwide emphasis on fuel efficiency, low emissions, and use of low-quality fuels such as biogas continues to drive the development of combustors that operate over a wider range of fuel/air ratios and with higher burning velocities than their conventional counterparts. Enhancement of reaction rates is required to increase burning velocities and widen fuel/air operating ranges over values achievable in conventional combustors, and extensive research over the last few decades has shown that transferring heat in a reactor from hot combustion products to incoming reactants can accomplish this enhancement without external energy addition. These reactors, called heat recirculating reactors, use various geometries and flow strategies to optimize the heat transfer. In this paper, research on heat recirculating reactors is reviewed with an emphasis on the most important designs and applications. The basic characteristics of a heat recirculating reactor are encompassed in a simple configuration: a flame stabilized in a tube with high thermal conductivity. More complex designs that have evolved to further optimize heat transfer and recirculation are then described, including porous reactors with or without flame stabilization and channel reactors consisting of parallel tubes or slots. Advanced designs introduce additional means of heat transfer, such as transverse heat transfer from hot products through channel walls to incoming reactants, thereby leading to the counter-flow channel reactor. The flexibility of heat recirculating reactors to operate on a variety of fuels and over wide operating ranges has led to many applications including fuel reformers, radiant heaters and thermal oxidizers, and important work on these applications is reviewed. Finally, future research directions are discussed.
The force on an accelerating body in axisymmetric creeping flow

A general and easily applied expression is derived for the force on an accelerating body in an axisymmetric slow viscous flow. This expression is valid for any axisymmetric body, irrespective of the conditions at the surface.
Lobular Breast Lesions

Invasive lobular carcinoma is the most common “special type” of breast carcinoma, accounting for 5–15% of invasive carcinomas. Lobular carcinomas have characteristic cytologic features and dyscohesive architecture, with one of the molecular hallmarks being loss of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in atypical lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, and invasive lobular carcinoma. In its classic form, invasive lobular carcinoma is usually estrogen receptor+/Her2- and shares other molecular alterations with luminal A/low-grade carcinomas. We present classic and variant forms of invasive and in situ lobular neoplasia, with clinical and radiologic correlation, and updated immunohistochemical and molecular features.
Efficient, continuous mutagenesis in human cells using a pseudo-random DNA editor

Here we describe TRACE (T7 polymerase-driven continuous editing), a method that enables continuous, targeted mutagenesis in human cells using a cytidine deaminase fused to T7 RNA polymerase. TRACE induces high rates of mutagenesis over multiple cell generations in genes under the control of a T7 promoter integrated in the genome. We used TRACE in a MEK1 inhibitor-resistance screen, and identified functionally correlated mutations.
Implementation of a billable transitional care model for stroke patients: the COMPASS study

The COMprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services (COMPASS) pragmatic trial compared the effectiveness of comprehensive transitional care (COMPASS-TC) versus usual care among stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients discharged home from North Carolina hospitals. We evaluated implementation of COMPASS-TC in 20 hospitals randomized to the intervention using the RE-AIM framework. We evaluated hospital-level Adoption of COMPASS-TC; patient Reach (meeting transitional care management requirements of timely telephone and face-to-face follow-up); Implementation using hospital quality measures (concurrent enrollment, two-day telephone follow-up, 14-day clinic visit scheduling); and hospital-level sustainability (Maintenance). Effectiveness compared 90-day physical function (Stroke Impact Scale-16), between patients receiving COMPASS-TC versus not. Associations between hospital and patient characteristics with Implementation and Reach measures were estimated with mixed logistic regression models. Adoption: Of 95 eligible hospitals, 41 (43%) participated in the trial. Of the 20 hospitals randomized to the intervention, 19 (95%) initiated COMPASS-TC. Reach: A total of 24% (656/2751) of patients enrolled received a billable TC intervention, ranging from 6 to 66% across hospitals. Implementation: Of eligible patients enrolled, 75.9% received two-day calls (or two attempts) and 77.5% were scheduled/offered clinic visits. Most completed visits (78% of 975) occurred within 14 days. Effectiveness: Physical function was better among patients who attended a 14-day visit versus those who did not (adjusted mean difference: 3.84, 95% CI 1.42–6.27, p = 0.002). Maintenance: Of the 19 adopting hospitals, 14 (74%) sustained COMPASS-TC. COMPASS-TC implementation varied widely. The greatest challenge was reaching patients because of system difficulties maintaining consistent delivery of follow-up visits and patient preferences to pursue alternate post-acute care. Receiving COMPASS-TC was associated with better functional status. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02588664. Registered 28 October 2015.
The utilization patterns and comparative effectiveness of systemic therapy with high-dose thoracic radiotherapy or low-dose thoracic radiotherapy versus systemic therapy alone in newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients

We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to investigate the utilization and effectiveness of high-dose thoracic radiotherapy (RT) with systemic therapy (ST), compared to low-dose RT with ST, or ST alone in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), hypothesizing that the use of high-dose thoracic RT with ST would increase in time and be associated with improved overall survival (OS). We identified mNSCLC patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 whose initial treatment comprised ST and thoracic RT (ST-RT; n = 46,315) or ST and no thoracic or extrathoracic RT (ST-only; n = 113,009). RT dose was grouped by biologically effective dose (BED10). OS was compared using multivariable regression models and propensity score (PS)–matched analyses. Median follow-up was 9.1 months and 25.8 months among those alive at last follow-up. Among ST-RT patients, 16.9% and 2.3% received BED10 70–99 Gy (n = 7806) and BED10 ≥ 100 Gy (n = 1049), respectively. Compared to the ST-only group, ST-RT patients receiving a BED10 of 40–69 Gy (HR 0.95, p < 0.001), 70–99 Gy (HR 0.69, p < 0.001), or ≥ 100 Gy (HR 0.68, p < 0.001) had improved OS on multivariable analysis, while patients receiving a BED10 of < 40 Gy (HR 1.40, p < 0.001) did not. Patients who received high-dose RT (BED10 ≥ 70 Gy; HD-RT) had improved OS compared to PS-matched controls in the ST-only group (HR 0.68, p < 0.001). Utilization of HD-RT increased year-by-year over the study period. HD-RT utilization increased and was associated with improved OS versus ST alone or ST with low-dose RT. These findings are consistent with results from recently published randomized phase II studies.
Characteristics of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Henan province, 2010-2018

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Henan province during 2010-2018, and to provide theoretical evidence for strategies on prevention and control. Methods: Information about newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Henan between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018 were collected from the National Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Information System. Excel 2010 and software SPSS 23.0 were used for data cleaning and statistical analysis. Results: During 2010-2018, a total of 41 223 HIV/AIDS cases were newly reported in Henan, and the number of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases increased from 3 087 in 2010 to 5 910 in 2018. Sexual contact was the predominant transmission route in newly reported HIV/AIDS cases, and the proportion of sexual transmission increased from 50.6% (1 564/3 087) in 2010 to 98.8% (5 839/5 910) in 2018. The proportion of heterosexual transmission firstly increased from 44.9% (1 387/3 087) in 2010 and then declined to 65.7% (3 885/5 910) in 2018, and the proportion of MSM behavior related transmission increased from 5.7% (177/3 087) in 2010 to 33.1% (1 954/5 910) in 2018. Among the newly reported heterosexual transmitted cases, the proportion of cases with non-marital heterosexual behaviors increased from 69.4% (962/1 387) in 2010 to 91.7% (3 562/3 885) in 2018 (χ(2)=657.802, P<0.001). The number of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in young people aged 15-24 years and old people aged ≥60 years increased year by year. The youth cases were mainly infected by MSM behavior transmission (52.7%, 2 561/4 856), and heterosexual transmission was the main infection route of the elder cases (86.4%, 5 907/6 833). Among the elder cases infected by heterosexual transmission, cases with non-marital heterosexual behaviors were mainly males, the number of male cases increased from 122 in 2010 to 738 in 2018, and sex composition ratio was between 82.2% and 91.0%, while the sex composition ratio of female cases was increased from 9.0% (12/134) in 2010 to 17.8% (160/898) in 2018. Conclusions: From 2010 to 2018, the number of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in Henan increased. Sexual transmission had become the main transmission route. AIDS prevention and control should focus on the control of non-marital heterosexual transmission and MSM behavior transmission, and to pay more attention to young people and people aged 60 years and above.
Correction to: Review of Robotic Needle Guide Systems for Percutaneous Intervention.

Sentences under the sections “Needle Guide Systems Based on Imaging Modalities” and “Image Compatibility for Needle Guide Systems” contained incorrect data referred from other articles.
Fast Beamforming for Dynamic, Randomly Configured Antenna Arrays and Metamaterials

We propose methods to determine beam-forming excitation phase profiles for arbitrarily oriented arrays of antennas and scatterers, made of arbitrarily polarized elements. Our generalized analytical phasing (GAP) method provides rapid near-optimal phasing, enabling real-time beam steering with high-element-count, and dynamically configured arrays. In addition, we propose a reduced-order numerical phasing (RONP) method that converts an N -dimensional unknown parameter space (the N unknown phases) to a 2-D space (the optimal beam polarization). Though not as fast as the GAP, this method introduces no reduction in phasing accuracy. Both methods are suitable for a wide range of antenna array and metasurface designs.
Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction over Cu3P Nanoparticles Generated via a Molecular Precursor Route

The design of nanoparticles (NPs) with tailored morphologies and finely tuned electronic and physical properties has become a key strategy for controlling selectivity and improving conversion effic...
Chapter 11: “We Wear So Little”; Collegiate Women Gymnasts’ Reflections on Their Uniforms

This is an examination of collegiate women gymnasts’ thoughts and feelings on their required competition uniforms.
A PCB Sensor for Detecting Icing Events

Ice formation can be problematic on surfaces, such as roads, bridges, wings, and sensitive plants. A simple low-cost sensor for detecting the formation of ice has been developed using standard low-cost commercial printed circuit board fabrication techniques. The sensor consists of a capacitive interdigitated electrode structure, realized in the top Cu layer of the circuit board and covered with a polymeric solder mask. The sensor's capacitance is measured at 1 and 64 kHz, and then, the ratio of the two capacitances is computed. The ratio is then compared with a threshold value of 2.0. Icing results in the capacitance ratio exceeding 2.0, whereas dry conditions or water result in a ratio of less than 2.0. This technique exploits the dielectric relaxation properties of ice, in which ice has a high dielectric constant below the relatively low dielectric relaxation frequency of ≤3 kHz and a low dielectric constant well above that frequency. The sensor was evaluated in air, water, and ice over a temperature range of −30 to 34 °C and successfully identified ice every time.
Neonatal low-density granulocytes internalize and kill bacteria but suppress monocyte function using extracellular DNA

Low-density granulocytes (LDGs) are found abundantly in neonatal blood. However, there is limited mechanistic understanding of LDG interactions with bacteria and innate immune cells during acute infection. We aimed to determine how human neonatal LDGs may influence control of the bacterial burden at sites of infection, both individually and in the presence of mononuclear phagocytes. LDGs from human umbilical cord blood do phagocytose E. coli O1:K1:H7 and traffic bacteria into acidic compartments. However, LDGs were significantly less efficient at bacterial uptake and killing compared to monocytes, and this activity was associated with a reduced inflammatory cytokine response. The presence of bacteria triggered the release of DNA (eDNA) from LDGs into the extracellular space that resembled neutrophil extracellular traps, but had limited anti-bacterial activity. Instead, eDNA significantly impaired monocyte control of bacteria during co-culture. These results suggest that LDG recruitment to sites of bacterial infection may compromise host protection in the neonate. Furthermore, our findings reveal novel insights into LDG activity during infection, clarify inflammatory contributions relative to monocytes, and identify a novel LDG mechanism of immunosuppression.
Mind the Gap: New Full-Length Sequences of Blastocystis Subtypes Generated via Oxford Nanopore Minion Sequencing Allow for Comparisons between Full-Length and Partial Sequences of the Small Subunit of the Ribosomal RNA Gene

Blastocystis is a common food- and water-borne intestinal protist parasite of humans and many other animals. Blastocystis comprises multiple subtypes (STs) based on variability within the small subunit ribosomal (SSU rRNA) RNA gene. Though full-length reference sequences of the SSU rRNA gene are a current requirement to name a novel Blastocystis subtype, full-length reference sequences are not currently available for all subtypes. In the present study, Oxford Nanopore MinION long-read sequencing was employed to generate full-length SSU rRNA sequences for seven new Blastocystis subtypes for which no full-length references currently exist: ST21, ST23, ST24, ST25, ST26, ST27, and ST28. Phylogenetic analyses and pairwise distance matrixes were used to compare full-length and partial sequences of the two regions that are most commonly used for subtyping. Analyses included Blastocystis nucleotide sequences obtained in this study (ST21 and ST23–ST28) and existing subtypes for which full-length reference sequences were available (ST1–ST17 and ST29). The relationships and sequence variance between new and existing subtypes observed in analyses of different portions of the SSU rRNA gene are discussed. The full-length SSU rRNA reference sequences generated in this study provide essential new data to study and understand the relationships between the genetic complexity of Blastocystis and its host specificity, pathogenicity, and epidemiology.
When Clientelism Backfires: Vote Buying, Democratic Attitudes, and Electoral Retaliation in Latin America:

Attempting to buy votes is, in some cases, inefficient and damaging to a clientelistic party. To explain why, we propose the concept of electoral retaliation: sanctioning clientelistic parties by v...
Estimating Predictive Uncertainty Under Program Data Distribution Shift.

Deep learning (DL) techniques have achieved great success in predictive accuracy in a variety of tasks, but deep neural networks (DNNs) are shown to produce highly overconfident scores for even abnormal samples. Well-defined uncertainty indicates whether a model's output should (or should not) be trusted and thus becomes critical in real-world scenarios which typically involves shifted input distributions due to many factors. Existing uncertainty approaches assume that testing samples from a different data distribution would induce unreliable model predictions thus have higher uncertainty scores. They quantify model uncertainty by calibrating DL model's confidence of a given input and evaluate the effectiveness in computer vision (CV) and natural language processing (NLP)-related tasks. However, their methodologies' reliability may be compromised under programming tasks due to difference in data representations and shift patterns. In this paper, we first define three different types of distribution shift in program data and build a large-scale shifted Java dataset. We implement two common programming language tasks on our dataset to study the effect of each distribution shift on DL model performance. We also propose a large-scale benchmark of existing state-of-the-art predictive uncertainty on programming tasks and investigate their effectiveness under data distribution shift. Experiments show that program distribution shift does degrade the DL model performance to varying degrees and that existing uncertainty methods all present certain limitations in quantifying uncertainty on program dataset.
Transcription-coupled DNA double-strand break repair

Abstract The genomic DNA is constantly under attack by cellular and/or environmental factors. Fortunately, the cell is armed to safeguard its genome by various mechanisms such as nucleotide excision, base excision, mismatch and DNA double-strand break repairs. While these processes maintain the integrity of the genome throughout, DNA repair occurs preferentially faster at the transcriptionally active genes. Such transcription-coupled repair phenomenon plays important roles to maintain active genome integrity, failure of which would interfere with transcription, leading to an altered gene expression (and hence cellular pathologies/diseases). Among the various DNA damages, DNA double-strand breaks are quite toxic to the cells. If DNA double-strand break occurs at the active gene, it would interfere with transcription/gene expression, thus threatening cellular viability. Such DNA double-strand breaks are found to be repaired faster at the active gene in comparison to its inactive state or the inactive gene, thus supporting the existence of a new phenomenon of transcription-coupled DNA double-strand break repair. Here, we describe the advances of this repair process.
Nonsense Mutations in the ß Subunit Gene of the Rod cGMP Phosphodiesterase That are Associated with Inherited Retinal Degenerative Disease

The phototransduction cascade is the series of biochemical reactions through which a photon of light results in decreased neurotransmitter release in the photoreceptor. Analogous but biochemically distinct pathways are responsible for both rod and cone phototransduction. 1 A photon of light results in the photoisomerization of rhodopsin from 11-cis retinal to all trans retinal in the rod. This allows transducin to exchange GTP for GDP. This activated transducin complex can then release the inhibitory γ subunit from the cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) resulting in a decreased concentration of free cGMP. A cGMP-gated cation channel is then closed decreasing sodium conductance and hyperpolarizing the photoreceptor.
Still-Life Photography

A still life is an arrangement of inanimate (or mostly inanimate) elements that express pictorial, narrative, or metaphorical content. Photographic still-life studies evolve from the tradition of still-life paintings that originated as early as the 15th century. The most basic challenge of the still-life photographer is to create a composition of objects that are defined by light.
Bovine corneal endothelium in vitro: Elaboration and organization of a basement membrane

Abstract Bovine corneal endothelial cells can be easily grown in culture using conventional techniques. The cultured cells closely resemble the parent, native endothelium. In culture the endothelium synthesizes and deposits, in a polar fashion, a well organized basement membrane that contains molecules which are characteristic of all basement membranes. Membrane deposition continues for at least a year and, during that time, it begins to acquire the unique, ordered substructure characteristic of the native membrane.
Impact sound ratings: ASTM versus ISO

A comparison between the impact sound ratings of ASTM and ISO are discussed. When differences in these metrics are used to rank floor toppings, the rankings are inconsistent. To ISO 717 C50 rating, because of the low frequencies leads to unacce[tably large reproducibility ranges for tests on floors but should be acceptable for toppings. The C type ratings are not mandatory in ISO 717.
The Role of Quantitative Neuroimaging Indices in the Differentiation of Ischemia From Demyelination: An Analytical Study With Case Presentation

Background and purpose: Differentiation of acute and subacute ischemic stroke lesions from acute demyelinating lesions of multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be possible on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both lesion types enhance on T1 with gadolinium (Gd) contrast and both are hyperintense on diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI). This study is an analysis of two quantitative MR indices: (1) calculated apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and (2) T2 relaxation times (T2R) as means toward differentiating acute ischemic lesions from acute demyelinating lesions. Chronic ischemic and demyelinating lesions were evaluated for comparison as well. Methods: The MRI of nine patients with both acute and chronic ischemic lesions and six patients with both acute and chronic demyelinating lesions were analyzed for ADC and T2Rs. The indices were measured by manually placing regions of interest (ROIs) at the anatomic center of the acute lesion. Acute ischemic lesions were chosen by their hyperintensity on DWI and hypointensity on ADC mapping. Acute demyelinating lesions were selected by peripheral contrast enhancement after the administration of Gd. Computation of the ADC involved the diffusion coefficient on a region by region basis as follows: D = −(b0/b1000)ln(Sb1000/Sb0), where Sb1000 is the signal intensity on DWI and Sb0 is the signal intensity on T2 with diffusion sensitivities of b0 and b1000, respectively. Computation of the T2R was made as follows: T2R = (TET2 − TEPD)/(ln SIPD − ln SIT2), where TE is the echo time of the different pulse sequences, SI is signal intensity on the different echo sequences, and PD represents proton density sequence. Results: Twenty‐nine acute ischemia, 27 acute demyelination, 28 chronic ischemia, and 43 chronic demyelination image sets were analyzed. The differences between ADCacute infarct (0.760) versus ADCacute plaque (1.106) were significant (p Conclusions: ADC in combination with T2R is a useful tool to differentiate acute ischemic from acute demyelinating lesions. The use of these neuroimaging indices along with magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolite ratios is then demonstrated in elucidating the pathophysiological mechanism for a case of delayed posttraumatic bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia.
The Public School Advantage: Why Public Schools Outperform Private Schools by Christopher A. Lubienski and Sarah Theule Lubienski

The contribution of this book is straightforward, although the reader has to wade through an extended attack on “marketists” to get to the punchlines. Based on a quantitative analysis of the 2003 N...
Implanted neural electrodes cause chronic, local inflammation that is correlated with local neurodegeneration

Prosthetic devices that are controlled by intracortical electrodes recording one's 'thoughts' are a reality today, and no longer merely in the realm of science fiction. However, widespread clinical use of implanted electrodes is hampered by a lack of reliability in chronic recordings, independent of the type of electrodes used. One major hypothesis has been that astroglial scar electrically impedes the electrodes. However, there is a temporal discrepancy between stabilization of scar's electrical properties and recording failure with recording failure lagging by 1 month. In this study, we test a possible explanation for this discrepancy: the hypothesis that chronic inflammation, due to the persistent presence of the electrode, causes a local neurodegenerative state in the immediate vicinity of the electrode. Through modulation of chronic inflammation via stab wound, electrode geometry and age-matched control, we found that after 16 weeks, animals with an increased level of chronic inflammation were associated with increased neuronal and dendritic, but not axonal, loss. We observed increased neuronal and dendritic loss 16 weeks after implantation compared to 8 weeks after implantation, suggesting that the local neurodegenerative state is progressive. After 16 weeks, we observed axonal pathology in the form of hyperphosphorylation of the protein tau in the immediate vicinity of the microelectrodes (as observed in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies). The results of this study suggest that a local, late onset neurodegenerative disease-like state surrounds the chronic electrodes and is a potential cause for chronic recording failure. These results also inform strategies to enhance our capability to attain reliable long-term recordings from implantable electrodes in the CNS.
Automated generation of model cases for help-desk applications

Document databases may be ill-formed, containing redundant and poorly organized documents. For example, a database of customers' descriptions of problems with products and the vendor's descriptions of their resolution may contain many descriptions of the same problem. A highly desirable goal is to transform the database into a concise set of summarized reports-- model cases--which in turn are more amenable to search and problem resolution without expert intervention. In this paper, we describe techniques for attempting to automate the procedures for reducing a database to its essential components. Our initial application is self help for resolution of product problems. A lightweight document clustering method is described that operates in high dimensionality, processing tens of thousands of documents and grouping them into several thousand clusters. Techniques are described for summarization and exemplar selection to further refine the database contents. The method has been evaluated on a database of over 100000 customer-service problem reports that are reduced to 3000 clusters and 5000 exemplar documents. Preliminary results are promising and demonstrate efficient clustering performance with excellent group similarity measures, reducing the original database size by several orders of magnitude.
Continuous cell introduction for the analysis of individual cells by capillary electrophoresis.

Instrumentation for high-throughput analysis of single cells by capillary electrophoresis is described. A flow-based interface that uses electroosmotic flow (EOF) provides continuous injection of intact cells through an introduction capillary into a cell lysis junction and migration of the resulting cell lysate through a separation capillary for analysis. Specifically, two capillaries were coupled together with 5-mm-long Teflon tubing to create a ∼5-μm gap, and the junction was immersed in a buffer reservoir. High voltage was applied across both capillaries so that cells were continuously pumped into the first capillary by EOF. Individual cells were lysed on-column at the junction without detergents, presumably owing to mechanical disruption caused by a dramatic change in flow properties at the gap. After each cell was lysed at the junction, the major proteins hemoglobin and carbonic anhydrase were separated by capillary electrophoresis and the resultant analyte zones were detected by laser-induced native...