cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Contribution of Missed Clinic Visits to Disparities in HIV Viral Load Outcomes.

Objectives. We explored the contribution of missed primary HIV care visits (“no-show”) to observed disparities in virological failure (VF) among Black persons and persons with injection drug use (IDU) history.Methods. We used patient-level data from 6 academic clinics, before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Resources and Services Administration Retention in Care intervention. We employed staged multivariable logistic regression and multivariable models stratified by no-show visit frequency to evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors with VF. We used multiple imputations to assign missing viral load values.Results. Among 10 053 patients (mean age = 46 years; 35% female; 64% Black; 15% with IDU history), 31% experienced VF. Although Black patients and patients with IDU history were significantly more likely to experience VF in initial analyses, race and IDU parameter estimates were attenuated after sequential addition of no-show frequency. In stratified models, race and...
Undressing “Health Fashion”: An Examination of Health-Cause Clothing and Accessories

Today, fashion items such as rubber wristbands in various colors, pink ribbons, and red dresses represent different health-related causes and can be seen frequently across demographic groups. Complete with pithy slogans (e.g., “Go Red for Women”), these items are part of a larger “health fashion” trend—one that involves wearing, using, and displaying health-cause clothing and accessories. In this article, the authors explore recent interest in “health fashion,” examining in particular its origins, effectiveness, and implications.
What Are the Sources of Mechanical Damping in Matsuno–Gill-Type Models?

The Matsuno-Gill model has been widely used to study the tropical large-scale circulations and atmosphere-ocean interactions. However, a common critique of this model is that it requires a strong equivalent linear mechanical damping to get realistic wind response and it is unclear what could provide such a strong damping above the boundary layer. This study evaluates the sources and strength of equivalent linear mechanical damping in the Walker circulation by calculating the zonal momentum budget using 15 yr (1979-93) of daily global reanalysis data. Two different reanalyses [NCEP-NCAR and 15-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-15)] give qualitatively similar results for all major terms, including the budget residual, whose structure is consistent with its interpretation as eddy momentum flux convergence by convective momentum transport (CMT). The Walker circulation is characterized by two distinct regions: a deep convection region over the Indo-Pacific warm pool and a shallow convection region over the eastern Pacific cold tongue. These two regions are separated by a strong upper-tropospheric ridge and a strong lower-tropospheric trough in the central Pacific. The resultant pressure gradient forces on both sides require strong (approximately 5-10 days) damping to balance them because Coriolis force near the equator is too small to provide the balance. In the deep convection region, the damping is provided by CMT and advection together in both the upper and lower troposphere. In the shallow convection region, on the other hand, the damping is provided mainly by advection in the upper troposphere and by CMT in the lower troposphere. In other words, the upperlevel tropical easterly jet and the low-level trade wind are both braked by CMT. These results support the use of strong damping in the Matsuno-Gill-type models but suggest that the damping rate is spatially inhomogeneous and the CMT-related damping increases with the strength of convection. Implications for GCM's simulation of tropical mean climate are discussed.
An isoindigo and dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]silole copolymer for polymer solar cells

The copolymer of isoindigo and dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]silole, P(iI-DTS), is reported as prepared by Stille coupling to yield a soluble high molecular weight material absorbing light throughout the visible spectrum up to 800 nm. With deep HOMO and LUMO energy levels (high ionization potential and electron affinity) electrochemically measured at −5.55 and −3.95 eV respectively, this new p-type polymer enabled the fabrication of high open circuit voltage polymer solar cells when blended with fullerene derivatives. By employing solvent additives, the morphology of the devices was optimized to yield power conversion efficiencies of 4%.
Mitochondria and neuroplasticity

The production of neurons from neural progenitor cells, the growth of axons and dendrites and the formation and reorganization of synapses are examples of neuroplasticity. These processes are regulated by cell-autonomous and intercellular (paracrine and endocrine) programs that mediate responses of neural cells to environmental input. Mitochondria are highly mobile and move within and between subcellular compartments involved in neuroplasticity (synaptic terminals, dendrites, cell body and the axon). By generating energy (ATP and NAD+), and regulating subcellular Ca2+ and redox homoeostasis, mitochondria may play important roles in controlling fundamental processes in neuroplasticity, including neural differentiation, neurite outgrowth, neurotransmitter release and dendritic remodelling. Particularly intriguing is emerging data suggesting that mitochondria emit molecular signals (e.g. reactive oxygen species, proteins and lipid mediators) that can act locally or travel to distant targets including the nuc...
Predicting landscape sensitivity to present and future floods in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Floods are the most frequent natural disaster, causing more loss of life and property than any other in the USA. Floods also strongly influence the structure and function of watersheds, stream channels, and aquatic ecosystems. The Pacific Northwest is particularly vulnerable to climatically driven changes in flood frequency and magnitude, because snowpacks that strongly influence flood generation are near the freezing point and thus sensitive to small changes in temperature. To improve predictions of future flooding potential and inform strategies to adapt to these changes, we mapped the sensitivity of landscapes to changes in peak flows due to climate warming across Oregon and Washington. We first developed principal component-based models for predicting peak flows across a range of recurrence intervals (2-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-years) based on historical instantaneous peak flow data from 1000 gauged watersheds in Oregon and Washington. Key predictors of peak flows included drainage area and principal component scores for climate, land cover, soil, and topographic metrics. We then used these regression models to predict future peak flows by perturbing the climate variables based on future climate projections (2020s, 2040s, and 2080s) for the A1B emission scenario. For each recurrence interval, peak flow sensitivities were computed as the ratio of future to current peak flow magnitudes. Our analysis suggests that temperature-induced changes in snowpack dynamics will result in large (>30–40%) increases in peak flow magnitude in some areas, principally the Cascades, Olympics, and Blue Mountains and parts of the western edge of the Rocky Mountains. Flood generation processes in lower elevation areas are less likely to be affected, but some of these areas may be impacted by floodwaters from upstream. These results can assist land, water, and infrastructure managers in identifying watersheds and resources that are particularly vulnerable to increased peak flows and developing plans to increase their resilience. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recognition of alkenones in a lower Aptian porcellanite from the west-central Pacific

Abstract ODP Leg 198 drilling on Shatsky Rise recovered a lower Aptian porcellanite (∼120.5 Ma) deposited during oceanic anoxic event (OAE) 1a that contains C36–C39 alkadienones: C37:2 and C39:2 alkadien-2-ones and C36:2 and C38:2 alkadien-3-ones. This alkenone distribution differs from that typical of contemporary sediments and haptophyte algae, but resembles that of Cretaceous sediments from the Blake-Bahama basin. The discovery of alkenones in the early Aptian extends their sedimentary record by 15 M.y. to 120.5 M.y. and demonstrates the potential for long-term survival of these diagnostic functional lipids under favorable depositional conditions and subsequent shallow burial. It also contributes to the understanding and reconstruction of evolutionary developments in alkenone distributions and biosynthesis over geologic time.
Parallel TCP for high performance communication subsystems

Emerging applications and rapid advances in communication technology increasingly require high-performance communication subsystems. Parallelizing protocols in order to efficiently make use of multiprocessor platforms is one approach such systems. A function-based parallel structure of the widely used TCP protocol, applicable to a large variety of implementation platforms, is presented. An example of a multiprocessor implementation of the parallel TCP is discussed. General-purpose processors as well as specialized VLSI implementations of performance critical functions are considered as a basis for high-performance communication subsystems being able to sustain gigabit rates. >
Fever of unknown origin secondary to occult pleuropneumonia.

This case represents a clinical impression of what may be the most common form of pleuropneumonia seen in equine practice. This form presents with fever of unknown origin with few, if any, signs referable to the respiratory system. This form of pleuropneumonia rarely is discussed in the literature [1,2]. The more severe form of pleuropneumonia (with extensive purulence and exudation, lung infarction, and so forth) is the focus of most literature discussion, likely because of referral filter bias and the unlikelihood that cases of occult or mild pleuropneumonia are referred for evaluation [3]. Theoretically, many occult pleuropneumonia cases are likely to respond spontaneously or with empiric antimicrobial treatment without a specific diagnosis.
mTOR Is Essential for the Proteotoxic Stress Response, HSF1 Activation and Heat Shock Protein Synthesis

The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a high molecular weight protein kinase that regulates many processes in cells in response to mitogens and variations in nutrient availability. Here we have shown that mTOR in human tissue culture cells plays a key role in responses to proteotoxic stress and that reduction in mTOR levels by RNA interference leads to increase sensitivity to heat shock. This effect was accompanied by a drastic reduction in ability to synthesize heat shock proteins (HSP), including Hsp70, Hsp90 and Hsp110. As HSP transcription is regulated by heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), we examined whether mTOR could directly phosphorylate this factor. Indeed, we determined that mTOR could directly phosphorylate HSF1 on serine 326, a key residue in transcriptional activation. HSF1 was phosphorylated on S326 immediately after heat shock and was triggered by other cell stressors including proteasome inhibitors and sodium arsenite. Null mutation of S326 to alanine led to loss of ability to activate an HSF1-regulated promoter-reporter construct, indicating a direct role for mTOR and S326 in transcriptional regulation of HSP genes during stress. As mTOR is known to exist in at least two intracellular complexes, mTORC1 and mTOR2 we examined which complex might interact with HSF1. Indeed mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin prevented HSF1-S326 phosphorylation, suggesting that this complex is involved in HSF1 regulation in stress. Our experiments therefore suggest a key role for mTORC1 in transcriptional responses to proteotoxic stress.
Perceptions of punishment : inmates and staff rank the severity of prison versus intermediate sanctions

Proponents of the newer intermediate sanctions argue that there are “equivalencies” of punishment between community-based and prison sentences and that, at some level of intensity, community-based programs have roughly the same punitive “bite.” There is little research, however, on the relative severity of intensive supervision in comparison to other sanctions. This study was designed to examine how offenders and staff in Minnesota rank the severity of various criminal sanctions and which particular sanctions they judge equivalent in punitiveness. In addition, we explored how both groups rank the difficulty of commonly imposed probation conditions and which offender background characteristics are associated with perceptions of sanction severity. Our results suggest that there are intermediate sanctions that equate, in terms of punitiveness, with prison. For example, inmates viewed 1 year in prison as “equivalent” in severity to 3 years of intensive probation supervision or 1 year in jail, and they viewed ...
A Peer-to-Peer Cooperation Enhancement Scheme and its Performance Analysis

The performance of peer-to-peer systems depends on the level of cooperation of the system’s participants. While most existing peer-to-peer architectures have assumed that users are generally cooperative, there is great evidence from widely deployed systems suggesting the opposite. To date, many schemes have been proposed to alleviate this problem. However, the majority of these schemes are either too complex to use in practice, or do not provide strong enough incentives for cooperation. In this work we propose a scheme based on the general idea that offering uploads brings revenue to a user, and performing downloads has a cost. We also introduce a theoretical model that predicts the performance of the system and computes the values of the scheme’s parameters that achieve a desired performance. Our scheme is quite simple and very easy to implement. At the same time, it provides very strong incentives for cooperation and improves the performance of P2P networks significantly. In particular, theory and realistic simulations show that it reduces the query response times and file download delays by one order of magnitude, and doubles the system’s throughput.
New Methods to Detect and Eliminate Insect-Infested Grain

Publisher Summary This chapter aims to review the recent developments in methods and techniques to inspect grain for internal infestation as well as the development of practical means to remove infested kernels from bulk grain. Early methods proposed to detect internally infested kernels in samples of commercial grain included visualization, by means of stains, of egg plugs of certain species. Other techniques include quantitative counting of insect exit holes, frequently with the help of special optical adjuncts, the sectioning of grain samples cemented to plane surfaces, the rendering of kernels translucent by boiling in alkali, and the measurement of CO2 evolution as an index of live infestation. Segregation of infested kernels by air blast as well as by flotation in solutions of varying density have been proposed as rapid practical preliminary means suitable for commercial use. Electronic aural techniques have been developed to detect living infestation not only within grains but also in green plants. The most objective method so far developed, and one that is widely employed at grain terminals and flour mills to detect infestation, is that of X-ray radiography employing beryllium-window X-ray tubes at potentials of 15-30 kilovolts. Attempts also have been made to accomplish continuous separation with high density ore-flotation media.
A thermomechanical model for adhesion reduction of MEMS cantilevers

Presents a thermomechanical model that describes adhesion reduction in MEMS structures using laser heating. A fracture mechanics model is developed where the interface between the stiction-failed microcantilever and the substrate is treated as a crack, and the energy release rate is calculated using elastic theory. In order to include the effect of a temperature difference between the microcantilever and the substrate, an associated thermal strain energy is included in the fracture model. If the free length is longer than the critical buckling length, the beam buckles decreasing the strain energy of the system. For surface-micromachined polycrystalline silicon cantilevers with an initial crack length of 400 /spl mu/m, the model predicts that a temperature difference of 100 K repairs microcantilevers as long as 1300 /spl mu/m. The peeling of adhered beams from the substrate after laser irradiation is experimentally shown with measured crack lengths within 15% of predicted values indicating that the proposed model establishes the mechanism of adhesion reduction by laser irradiation.
INTERVAL ESTIMATION OF QUANTILE RATIOS APPLIED TO ANTI-CANCER DRUG SCREENING BY XENOGRAFT EXPERIMENTS

The current practice in analyzing data from anti-cancer drug screening by xenograft experiments lacks statistical consideration to account for experimental noise, and a sound inference procedure is necessary. A novel confidence bound and interval procedure for estimating quantile ratios developed in this paper fills the void. Justified by rigorous large-sample theory and a simulation study of small-sample performance, the proposed method performs well in a wide range of scenarios involving right-skewed distributions. By providing rigorous inference and much more interpretable statistics that account for experimental noise, the proposed method improves the current practice of analyzing drug activity data in xenograft experiments. The proposed method is fully nonparametric, simple to compute, performs equally well or better than known nonparametric methods, and is applicable to any statistical inference of a 'fold change' that can be formulated as a quantile ratio.
RF MEMS switches: status of the technology

This paper presents the latest accomplishments in RF MEMS switches, and at the same time, an assessment of their potential applications in defense and commercial systems. It is seen that RF MEMS devices offer spectacular performance at microwave frequencies, but suffer from reliability problems and the potential of relatively high-cost hermetic packaging. Still, this technology offers such tremendous advantages over GaAs and silicon switching devices that, in the author's opinion, it will find many applications in satellite, base-station and defense applications, particularly at high microwave frequencies.
On representing network heterogeneities in the incidence rate of simple epidemic models

Mean-field ecological models ignore space and other forms of contact structure. At the opposite extreme, high-dimensional models that are both individual-based and stochastic incorporate the distributed nature of ecological interactions. In between, moment approximations have been proposed that represent the effect of correlations on the dynamics of mean quantities. As an alternative closer to the typical temporal models used in ecology, we present here results on ‘‘modified mean-field equations’’ for infectious disease dynamics, in which only mean quantities are followed and the effect of heterogeneous mixing is incorporated implicitly. We specifically investigate the previously proposed empirical parameterization of heterogeneous mixing in which thebilinear incidencerateSIisreplaced by a nonlinear term kS p I q , for the case of stochastic SIRS dynamics on different contact networks, from a regular lattice to a random structure via small-world configurations. We show that, for two distinct dynamical cases involving a stable equilibrium and a noisy endemic steady state, the modified mean-field model approximates successfully the steady state dynamics as well as the respective short and long transients of decaying cycles. This result demonstrates that early on in the transients an approximate power-law relationship is established between global (mean) quantities and the covariance structure in the network. The approach fails in the more complex case of persistent cycles observed within the narrow range of small-world configurations.
Prolonged Adaptive Evolution of a Defensive Gene in the Solanaceae

Although plants and their natural enemies may coevolve for prolonged periods, little is known about how long individual plant defensive genes are involved in the coevolutionary process. We address this issue by examining patterns of selection on the defensive gene threonine deaminase (TD). Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has two copies of this gene. One performs the canonical housekeeping function in amino acid metabolism of catalyzing the first reaction in the conversion of threonine to isoleucine. The second copy functions as an antinutritive defense against lepidopteran herbivores by depleting threonine in the insect gut. Wild tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata) also contains a defensive copy. We show that a single copy of TD underwent two or three duplications near the base of the Solanaceae. One copy retains the housekeeping function, whereas a second copy evolved defensive functions. Positive selection occurred on the branch of the TD2 gene tree subtending the common ancestor of the Nicotianoideae and Solanoideae. It also occurred within the Solanoideae clade but not within the Nicotianoideae clade. Finally, it occurred on most branches leading from the common ancestor to S. lycopersicum. Based on recent calibrations of the Solanaceae phylogeny, TD2 experienced adaptive substitutions for a period of 30-50 My. We suggest that the most likely explanation for this result is fluctuating herbivore abundances: When herbivores are rare, relaxed selection increases the likelihood that slightly disadvantageous mutations will be fixed by drift; when herbivores are common, increased selection causes the evolution of compensatory adaptive mutations. Alternative explanations are also discussed.
The internationalisation pattern of traditional Brazilian footwear manufacturers: a qualitative analysis

Responding to the increasing need of studying the internationalisation process of small firms in Latin American, this study focuses on the patterns of internationalisation experienced by traditional Brazilian footwear manufacturers. Based on qualitative interviews with three Brazilian footwear manufacturers with rich internationalisation experience in the past decades, we provide findings to three research questions related to internationalisation. The motives to internationalise is found to be driven by government incentives, domestic economic downturn, and foreign market opportunities provided by distributors. Such opportunistic motives shaped the export-based modes of entry in the 1970's-1990's period. Driven by free trade agreements and international competition, more recent internationalisation activities are evidenced by greater foreign market learning and marketing mix localisation. The findings contribute to the extant literature on why and how Latin American firms internationalise in the past decades.
Using Genome Wide Estimates of Heritability to Examine the Relevance of Gene-Environment Interplay

We use genome-wide data from the third generation respondents of the Framingham Heart Study to estimate heritability in body mass index using different quantities of the measured genotype. Heritability decreases rapidly when SNPs implicated by a genome-wide association study are removed but shows essentially no decline when SNPs implicated by a gene-environment interaction in a second genome-wide analysis are removed. This second result is highlighted by our additional finding that the SNPs which explain heritability amongst a subsample defined by higher educational attainment explain no heritability of the heritability in the lower education group, and vice-versa. Finally, we do find consistent heritability estimates when we compare family-based estimates versus those based on measured genotype.
The effects of ketogenic diet on the Th17/Treg cells imbalance in patients with intractable childhood epilepsy.

Abstract Purpose The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective treatment for intractable epilepsy (IE), however the therapeutic mechanism is still unclear. This study was designed to investigate T helper type 17/regulatory T cell (Th17/Treg) levels in children with IE and age-matched healthy controls following KD. Method Circulating levels of Th17/Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Plasma concentration of interleukin (IL)-17 was measured by cytometric bead array assay. Real-time PCR was performed to measure mRNA levels of mTOR, HIF1α and Th17/Treg associated factors in purified CD4 + CD25 + T and CD4 + CD25 − T cells. Results By one-way ANOVA, the proportion of circulating Th17 cells and expression of IL-17A and RORγt were significantly higher ( P P P + CD25 + T and CD4 + CD25 − T cells mTOR and HIF1α expression were significantly higher in IE patients ( P P P P Conclusion Our results suggest that Th17/Treg imbalance is characteristic of childhood IE, and may contribute to IE pathogenesis. KD treatment is able to correct this imbalance, probably via inhabiting the mTOR/HIF-1α signaling pathway.
Reduced Fecundity of the Two-Spotted Spider Mite on Metal-Chelate-Treated Leaves

The EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetie acid), DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid), and EDDHA (ethylenediamine dihydroxy-phenyl-acetic acid) chelates of iron, and the EDTA chelates of manganese, zinc, and magnesium to bean leaves in the laboratory reduced the fecundity of the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranyechus telarius (L.), by as much as 90%. The EDTA chelates of magnesium and iron were the most active. The chelates were applied in three ways: by direct spraying of detached leaves, by supplementation of nutrient media in which beans were grown, and by addition to the media in which leaf discs were floated. The two last-mentioned methods were the most effective. Longer intervals between treatment of the plants or leaves and exposure of female mites produced reductions in fecundity, suggesting that some plant physiological process is involved in the chelate effect. Reduced fecundity was demonstrated also on leaves of strawberry, sweet potato, and hop sprayed with the chelates.
Influence of Cystine Supplements on the Incidence of Aortic Rupture in Rats Fed β-Aminopropionitrile∗:

SummaryThe l-cystine supplementation when fed with a proper concentration of BAPN in a commercial diet will prolong the survival of treated rats, reduce the incidence of death from aortic rupture and partially counteract the weight suppressing influence of this lathyrogen. Some of the BAPN intoxication therefore is mediated by the production of an increased need for more l-cystine. The mechanism by which the requirement for dietary l-cystine is increased by the ingestion of BAPN remains to be clarified.
Normal and seizure levels of lactate, pyruvate and acid-soluble phosphates in the cerebellum and cerebrum.

SummaryLactic acid, pyruvic acid, inorganic phosphorus, phosphocreatine, and ATP-ADP were determined in liquid air fixed brains of normal and convulsed cats. In normal brains the levels in cerebellum and cerebrum were approximately the same. In convulsed brains, however, the lactic acid increases were much smaller and phosphocreatine levels were higher in cerebellum than in cerebrum despite the fact that seizure activity was approximately of equal intensity in both parts.
Providing personalized system optimum traveler information in a congested traffic network with mixed users

ABSTRACTThe advancement of information and communication technology allows the use of more sophisticated information provision strategies for real-time traffic management in a congested network. This article proposes a personalized system optimum traveler information (PSOI) system under ubiquitous communication, which allows traffic system operators to fully optimize and coordinate individuals' trip plans according to the personal attributes, such as real-time location, value of time, allowable budgets for congestion tolling, and willingness to take detours. We also developed an efficient queue-based evaluation and solution heuristic algorithm using mesoscopic simulation models to solve for near-optimal PSOI strategies—route suggestions for each individual traveler. The simulation optimization algorithm can account for different information users and provide predictive information that robustly accounts for potential decisions of other travelers in real time. Case studies were carried out on a test networ...
29 REGULATION OF APOPTOSIS SIGNAL-REGULATING KINASE 1 BY a SUBUNITS OF HETEROTRIMERIC G PROTEINS G12 AND G13.

Heterotrimeric G protein a subunits Gα12 and Gα13 are able to stimulate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and induce apoptosis via more than one MAP kinase pathways. Gα12 and Gα13 have been reported to stimulate apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK1), one of MAPKK kinases upstream of JNK; the mechanism of this effect has not been studied in detail. Here we report that Gα12 and Gα13 associate with ASK1, as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation assays. Gα12 and Gα13 binding to ASK1 occurs independently of their activation state, as evidenced by ASK1 binding to wild-type Ga subunits both in the presence and in the absence of AlF4-, as well as its similar binding to mutationally activated as compared to wild-type Gα12/Gα13. Using deletion mutants of ASK1, we show that both N- and C-terminal regulatory domains of ASK1 may be involved in the interaction with Gα12/Gα13, while its kinase domain is not required. Coexpression of ASK1 with wild-type Gα13 in COS-7 cells leads to strongly decreased levels of ASK1 protein. In contrast, coexpression of ASK1 with mutationally activated Gα13 increases ASK1 levels as compared to control. Analysis of ASK1 polyubiquitinylation shows that polyubiquitinylated high molecular mass forms of ASK1 are more pronounced in the presence of wild-type Gα13 but are alleviated in the presence of activated Gα13. These results indicate that, in addition to the stimulation of ASK1 kinase activity by Gα12/Gα13 reported previously, ASK1 expression levels can be regulated by these G proteins via control of polyubiquitinylation and following degradation of this kinase.
Leukocyte Migration Inhibition Assay in Patients with Bladder Cancer

AbstractThe leukocyte migration inhibition assay has demonstrated successfully tumor-associated antigenic activity in protein extracts of cell culture lines of a number of neoplasms. Our data have shown a high degree of leukocyte migration inhibition reactivity with protein extracts from the well characterized T-24 transitional carcinoma cell line. Thus, the leukocyte migration inhibition assay may prove a valuable method of in vitro assessment of the cell-mediated immunity of bladder cancer patients and as a method to monitor attempts at further purification of tumor-associated antigens.
Using acoustic telemetry to assess patterns in the seasonal residency of the Atlantic stingray Dasyatis sabina

The Atlantic stingray Dasyatis sabina is found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. It consumes commercially important shrimp and crabs, and its diet overlaps with recreationally valuable red drum Sciaenops ocellatus and pompano Trachinotus spp. Despite the potential economic impact of this species, it is unclear whether the Atlantic stingray is present year-round or only seasonally in coastal habitats. The objective of this study was to assess the seasonal residency patterns of Atlantic stingrays in two creek systems in the Savannah River estuary. Forty stingrays were tracked using acoustic telemetry, and a seasonal residence index was calculated for each individual. Atlantic stingrays were present year-round in the Savannah River estuary, as 15 % (n = 6) of the tagged rays remained in the study areas throughout the year. This is the northernmost region where this species has been documented to be present all year. Of the 85 % (n = 34) of the rays that migrated during winter, 38 % (n = 13) of those were detected within the estuary less than 20 km away. Had trawls or mark-recapture been used instead, the few animals remaining in the creek systems and/or those that migrated may not have been collected. Acoustic telemetry is a more accurate means of studying the residency of fishes than periodic sampling that requires capture, and researchers should consider incorporating this technology in future studies about fish-environment interactions. Underestimating the presence of a species could result in miscalculation of its economic and ecological impact and, by extension, result in the implementation of ineffective or even detrimental management strategies.
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: Colon and Rectum

Advanced colonoscopy is not routine and requires highly technical skills as well as advanced technology. When an endoscopist is equipped with the correct tools for the job, the chance of success improves. In this chapter, we discuss an advanced endoscopic technique using advanced technology: endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and the tools used to perform this technique. ESD is a reliable but technically challenging method for en bloc resection of large gastrointestinal lesions and even selectively for early-stage tumors. However, colorectal ESD has higher risks of complications and takes longer than endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). In order to perform safe and effective ESD, accurate preoperative assessment of the target lesion is essential. However it is also imperative to have specialized training even for highly skilled endoscopist to prevent undesirable complications.
The (Supra-)Global Spectacle of American (Non-)Community

I remarked in the Introduction to this book that there is little doubt that homo americanus ‘America’ shapes the way non-Americans live, the way they think, and the ways in which they desire and project their futures. In the case of the more developed countries of Western Europe, however, America functions less as an outright model of aspiration than as an ambivalent emblem of fascination and as a foil for comparison with alternative paths taken by one’s own national culture. In the first three chapters, we saw how the French have dramatized the ways in which America emits rather spectacular ‘global’ messages of West, war, and the way of business. This fourth and final chapter will discuss two additional French plays and, for the sake of comparison and correlation, one very theatrical Danish film, all of which emphasize to varying degrees the Franco-European fascination with America as spectacle and as counter-communal. One of the plays and the film frame these issues with respect to what I will call the supra-global bearing of America’s global reach. The concentrated homo americanus society of the United States is ‘Spectacle’ (Debord) par excellence, a society that relies more on hyper-imagery than on mundane reality to depict its past, translate and comprehend its present, and project its future.
Freud's Rome: Variations on a phallic theme

The previous chapter brought me to the verge; now I close my eyes and step right over, taking the plunge into one of the most embarrassing and rebarbative of psychoanalytic obsessions: the Freudian penis, the Lacanian phallus. There is no way around the fact that this is a pivotal topic in classical psychoanalytic theory. For Freud, it is the penis that signposts the devious journey that arrives, with surprising frequency, and as if by design, at normative heterosexuality. Fear of losing it (“castration anxiety”) spurs the son to relinquish the mother; wanting it (“penis envy”) sets the girl on the winding path toward motherhood, which alone can abate her sense of privation. In one of Freud's everyday myths, the differentiating crisis is triggered by the sight of a different body, perceived as fearfully deficient or enviably furnished. Whereas the boy's reaction has to be activated by a threat of castration (it is only in tandem with this threat that the girl's body appears castrated, thereby furnishing ghastly proof that such threats are not always empty), the girl's is instantaneous: “she has seen it and knows that she is without it and wants to have it.” Though sometimes refusing the evidence of his eyes, the Freudian boy typically has the good sense to relinquish his mother in order to keep his penis. By contrast, the Freudian girl scarcely ever succeeds in recovering fully from her initial disappointment. And the consequences of this difference ramify far beyond individual sexual destinies.
Adsorption of bisphenol A and ciprofloxacin by palygorskite-montmorillonite: Effect of granule size, solution chemistry and temperature

Abstract Adsorption and desorption studies of the endocrine-disrupting compound, bisphenol A (BPA), and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) with palygorskite-montmorillonite (Pal-Mt) granules (0.3–0.6 mm, 1.7–2.0 mm and ≈ 2.8 mm), were done as a function of solution chemistry, temperature, and particle size. The data best fit the Langmuir adsorption model with the smallest and the largest granule sizes, respectively, exhibiting the highest (in mg kg − 1 , q m = 77.3 for BPA; q m = 107,000 for CIP) and the lowest ( q m = 41.0 for BPA; q m = 81,000 for CIP) adsorption capacities. CIP adsorption was strongly pH dependent, while BPA adsorption was slightly pH and ionic strength dependent. Thermodynamic parameters indicated BPA and CIP adsorption were spontaneous. Net-adsorption-desorption hysteresis were indicative of irreversible adsorption. FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data corroborate the mechanisms and the level of adsorption for CIP but not for BPA. The smallest and the medium granule sizes, respectively, are appropriate for potential BPA and CIP removal. Capsule abstract BPA and CIP adsorption-desorption data was granule size, experimental pH, ionic strength, and temperature dependent. Adsorption-desorption hysteresis indicated irreversible adsorption.
Exploring Marijuana Advertising on Weedmaps, a Popular Online Directory.

With an increase in the legalization of recreational marijuana across the USA, advertising for marijuana products is more widespread, especially on the Internet where such practices pose a regulatory challenge. In this study, we examined the content of marijuana advertising on Weedmaps, a popular website that markets marijuana retailers online. A total of 146 recreational marijuana retailers in Colorado and Washington were examined on Weedmaps. We studied the age verification practices made in retailers’ own websites, the presence of health claims they made about marijuana on Weedmaps, and the characteristics of followers of Weedmaps on social media sites. Many retailers had no security measure to determine age (41 % in Colorado, 35 % in Washington). Approximately 61 % of retailers in Colorado and 44 % in Washington made health claims about the benefits of marijuana, including anxiety reduction, treatment of depression, insomnia, and pain/inflammation. Inferred demographic characteristics of followers of Weedmaps on Twitter and Instagram revealed that over 60 % were male and nearly 70 % or more were age 20–29 years old, yet some (15–18 %) were under the age of 20. Our findings indicate that marijuana retailers have a visible presence on the Internet. Potential customers might be enticed by retailers who tout health claims about marijuana use. It may also be appealing for a younger demographic to overlook age restrictions and engage with marijuana retailers via social media. As a whole, our findings can help to guide future policy making on the issue of marijuana-related advertising.
Creation and Initial Outcomes of a Selective Four-Year Research Program for Predoctoral Dental Students.

Educators agree that dental students’ involvement in research plays an important role in their development and contributes to the future of dental education. However, dental schools are challenged to provide the time and support necessary to nurture their students in undertaking research activities. The aim of this study was to examine student participation in a predoctoral student research program at one U.S. dental school and to track participants’ outcomes both before and after introduction of an additional, highly selective research scholarship program. Research participation was recorded for all predoctoral dental students in the graduating classes of 2005–15. The number of years of participation was also tracked for each student who participated in research. The results showed that, since the inception of the research honors scholarship in 2005, there has been a more than threefold increase in the number of dental students participating in research each year. The number of students who do multiple years of research has tripled, and the number of students’ poster presentations at national academic meetings has risen tenfold in those ten years. The introduction of a competitive award that recognizes exceptional research by students has added to the research profile of the school and has shown success in encouraging students to become involved in research throughout their four years in dental school.
Modeling Iridium-Based Trilayer and Bilayer Transition-Edge Sensors

We report a model that can be used to calculate superconducting transition temperature of a transition-edge sensor (TES), which is either a normal metal–superconductor–normal metal trilayer or a normal metal–superconductor bilayer. The model allows the $T_{C}$ estimation of a trilayer when the normal metals at the bottom and at the top are different. Furthermore, the model includes the spin flip time of the normal metals. We use the $T_{C}$ calculations from this model for selected Ir-based trilayers and bilayers to help understand potential designs of low $T_{C}$ TESs. A Au/Ir/Au trilayer can have a low $T_{C}$ because the superconducting order parameter is reduced with normal metals at both sides. On the other hand, an Ir/Pt bilayer can have a low $T_{C}$ because the much larger electron density of states of Pt reduces the superconducting order parameter more effectively. Moreover, the spin flip scattering of paramagnetic Pt also contributes to the $T_{C}$ reduction.
PTSD, Biomarkers, and Rape Prosecutions

Courts traditionally have been reluctant to admit PTSD evidence in rape cases. Prosecutors often attempt to introduce such evidence to establish that the victim did not consent to the sexual contact, but courts have been concerned that the jury will improperly use the evidence for other purposes, such as proof that the rape occurred. This essay questions whether judicial hostility to PTSD evidence should be reconsidered, given how science is developing biological markers, or objective physiological measures, of PTSD. It concludes that, even with these scientific developments, courts should remain skeptical about admitting PTSD evidence. The main concern persists that PTSD evidence may be overly persuasive in suggesting that rape was the stressor that caused the psychiatric disorder. Nor does use of biomarkers eliminate the vouching problem raised by the testimony of psychiatric experts, who must still rely on the accuser’s account of the experience — the stressor event — that supposedly caused the PTSD. Moreover, an open door to PTSD biomarker evidence may introduce new evidentiary problems, as the defense may try to use the absence of biomarkers to support the claim of consent.
Controlling the Electron-Transfer Kinetics of Quantum-Dot Assemblies

Electron transfer theory is used to explore the size-dependence of electron transfer (ET) between dithiol-bridged quantum dots (QDs) and make predictions that can be tested experimentally. Electronic couplings, electronic densities of states, and reaction-free energies are all found to be size-dependent and to influence the ET rates. As the acceptor QD radius grows at fixed edge-to-edge donor–acceptor distance, the reaction-free energy becomes more negative. As a result, both electron and hole transfer rates show a peak as a function of acceptor radius for donor radii ranging from 9.5 to 21.5 A; however, this rate maximum as a function of radius is weaker than that observed in molecules, since the increasing acceptor density of states partially compensates both the Marcus inverted effect and the decreased electronic coupling with increasing radius. The electronic coupling decreases as the donor radius grows because the wave function probability density per surface atom decreases and the acceptor density o...
Real-time ultra-wideband frequency sweeping channel sounder for 3–18 GHz

This paper presents system concept, calibration and example measurements of a novel ultra-wideband, real-time channel sounder. The sounder operates in the frequency range from 3 GHz to 18 GHz thus providing a Fourier delay resolution of 66.7 ps. The developed sounder measures overlapping sub-bands of 1 GHz bandwidth to cover the whole frequency range. This allows us to use a waveform generator and a digitizer with relatively lower sample rates and significantly lowers the cost compared to sampling the whole band at once. With the transmit power of 40 dBm, the maximum measurable path loss is 132 dB without accounting possible antenna gains. In this work, we also describe the calibration procedure along with the method to patch sub-bands into a combined channel response. This approach is validated by comparing the results from vector network analyzer(VNA) measurements performed in the same static environment. In contrast to VNAs, however, our sounder is real-time and can measure in dynamic environments with maximum Doppler spreads up to 166.7 Hz. Additionally, we present sample results from the first measurement campaign performed in an urban cellular scenario covering 3–18 GHz.
Diabetes Education and Glycemic Control.

Counseling by a diabetes educator or a team of educators delivered in a variety of formats may reduce A1C levels by 0.2% to 0.8% compared with usual care alone. Diabetes educators should be considered for patients who have higher baseline A1C levels (8% to 9%) because this group had greater improvement in glycemic control after diabetes self-management education.
Spatial, temporal and experimental: Three study design cornerstones for establishing defensible numeric criteria in freshwater ecosystems

Nutrient over‐enrichment increasingly threatens global water resources. Stressor‐response studies specifically designed to identify levels of nutrients strongly associated with undesirable ecological conditions are needed to inform numeric nutrient criteria that protect inland waters. Diatoms are important components of aquatic life, which support higher trophic levels and are sensitive to nutrient enrichment. We tested a framework that relies on stressor‐response modelling of phosphorus (P) enrichment and stream diatom assemblages across many field locations, multiple years and seasons within years, and under controlled experimental conditions to inform nutrient criteria development. Diatom species composition was nonlinearly correlated with total phosphorus (TP) throughout the 2‐year field study. This occurred despite temporal shifts in species composition between two hydrologically distinct years and over eight seasons. Species assemblages on rocks transplanted from a low P stream to mesocosms representing a P enrichment gradient (8, 20 and 100 μg/L) shifted into two groups over time. Species composition on rocks in low (20 μg/L) and high (100 μg/L) P mesocosms was consistent with assemblages at P‐enriched field sites, whereas rocks in control (8 μg/L) mesocosms had significantly different species composition, consistent with low P field sites. Species composition on rocks transplanted from high P streams did not shift as dramatically and were not significantly different after exposure to different P treatments in mesocosms. Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis identified synchronous declines in several diatom species that culminated in assemblage thresholds associated with TP concentrations >20 and 25 μg/L for 2006 and 2007 respectively. Synthesis and applications. Diatom assemblages show consistent responses to nutrient enrichment despite temporal shifts associated with confounding factors common in stream ecosystems. Regulators should include diatom assemblage responses when developing numeric nutrient criteria. We present a framework that includes spatial, temporal and experimental components, and has broad applicability for use in different ecological settings to evaluate ecological endpoints and set limits for a variety of contaminants threatening freshwater ecosystems throughout the world.