cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oral or Topical 5-ASA in Ulcerative Colitis

Aminosalicylates (5-ASAs) are foundational therapies for patients with mild-moderate active ulcerative colitis (UC) and to maintain remissions. A variety of oral and topical formulations have been evaluated in both active and quiescent disease in both extensive and distal UC. This review summarizes data on pharmacokinetics and applications of oral and topical 5-ASA therapies in active and quiescent, extensive colitis and distal disease, both as monotherapies and in combination and reviews dosing and dosing intervals for oral 5-ASA in both active disease and to maintain remissions.
Feasibility of virtual wound care: a pilot study.

Objective A 9-month pilot study was initiated to evaluate the feasibility of a Web-based telemedicine program for remote wound care team consultations for patients with chronic wounds. Method Wound care nurses in Veterans Health Administration outpatient clinics evaluated 56 patients with chronic wounds over the course of 208 clinic visits. The wounds were predominantly lower-extremity ulcers (diabetic and vascular). The Veterans Affairs Computerized Patient Record System and the Internet were used to obtain consultations and transmit data (store-forward) between the nurse specialists and a multidisciplinary wound care team located at the regional tertiary care center. Results During the course of the study, 76% of wounds treated decreased in size; mean response time for consultations was 2.61 days. Exit surveys indicated that 98.2% of patients were satisfied with care; referring providers also indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the teleconsult system. Conclusions This study demonstrated that a multidisciplinary wound care team using a store-forward approach can feasibly provide telemedicine consultations for patients in remote locations.
Type of Wire Screen Required for Excluding Cigarette Beetles and Tobacco Moths from Warehouses

For several years increasing interest has been manifested by the tobacco industry in the screening of warehouses and factories as an aid in the control of stored-tobacco insects. The screen 6rst used was 18-mesh made of wire 0.011 inch in diameter. This screen was found to prevent the passage of tobacco moths, Ephestia elutella (Hbn.), but was not effective against cigarette beetles, Lasioderma serricorne (F.). As a result tests were made in 1940 with several grades of wire to determine the type best suited for use in warehouses and factories.
Real-Time Monitoring of Transesterification by 1H NMR Spectroscopy: Catalyst Comparison and Improved Calculation for Biodiesel Conversion

A facile, rapid, and noninvasive method for monitoring transesterification of acylglycerols for the application of biodiesel production is reported. High-field NMR spectroscopic analysis prevents incorrect and overintegration of signals that have previously been combined due to crowding on low-field NMR spectrometers. Using high resolution NMR, a new and more accurate equation utilizing a nonoverlapping signal is presented for calculating biodiesel conversion. Here, we demonstrate the kinetic acquisition of high-resolution NMR spectra for real-time monitoring of the consumption and formation of triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, and fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel production. This method of reaction monitoring takes place on small scale in a standard NMR tube, is acquired with existing laboratory instruments, and avoids taking aliquots from a reaction. By comparing different catalysts and conditions, this method facilitates the selection/optimization of catalysts and may improve quality in complianc...
A Tale of Two…Glasses?

It was the best of wines, it was the worst of wines … port wine, that is. But I’m getting way, way ahead of myself. So let me start again….
Application Research of the "Feedback Mechanism"in the Skating Teaching in the University

With the methods of documentary,statistics and experiment,the paper researches the application of "feedback mechanism" as cognitive memory method and observational hint method in skating teaching in the university and suggests some notices on time and reliability.The practice proves that reasonable feedback mechanism is a scientific teaching method which can be applied to markedly improve the teaching effect.
Observations Upon Calcium Oxalate Crystallization Kinetics in Simulated Urine

AbstractTwo major etiologic theories of urinary stones are excessive saturation of urine with crystallizable substances or defects in inhibitors that allow relative supersaturation to occur. To date, it has been difficult to confirm the supersaturation theory in experiments using diffusion-limited crystallization systems because direct measurements of the nucleation process of crystallization could not be performed. We used well developed, continuous crystallizer techniques and adapted them from industrial use to the study of stone disease. Data derived from the experiments allow the absolute measurement of crystal growth rate and determination of nucleation rate. These methods were applied to study the calcium oxalate dihydrate (weddellite) system in artificial urine that lacked only proteinaceous components. Based on these experiments it was not possible to grow crystals large enough within 5 to 20 minutes to obstruct the collecting ducts of the kidney. Therefore, it appears that other processes, such a...
Diffusion tensor distribution function metrics boost power to detect deficits in Alzheimer's disease

Fractional anisotropy derived from the single-tensor model (FADTI) in diffusion MRI (dMRI) is the most widely used metric to characterize white matter (WM) micro-architecture in disease, despite known limitations in regions with extensive fiber crossing. Due to time constraints and interest in collecting multiple clinical samples and MRI scan types, complex HARDI acquisition protocols are rare in clinical population dMRI studies. Under such constraints, the tensor distribution function (TDF) can still be used to reconstruct multiple underlying fibers by representing the diffusion profile as a probabilistic mixture of tensors. Here we set out to better profile WM deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by comparing the standard FADTI and TDF-derived FA (FATDF) in (1) WM network connectivity and voxel-based analyses of diagnostic differences, and (2) for picking up associations with clinical cognitive ratings and hippocampal volume. Ultimately, the TDF approach may be more sensitive and accurate than corresponding DTI-derived measures.
Laryngeal Framework Surgery in the Irradiated Neck: A Retrospective Matched Cohort Study.

Background Laryngeal framework surgery (LFS) remains a cornerstone treatment in the management of glottic insufficiency. Traditionally, a history of radiation to the neck has been considered a relative contraindication to LFS. Methods A retrospective matched cohort study was performed to study LFS outcomes in patients with and without a history of radiation. Variables studied included radiation specifics, surgical time, operative difficulty, complications, need for revision surgery, and Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) scores. Results A total of 298 patients were studied. Fourteen patients with a history of neck irradiation were matched with 14 nonirradiated controls. No complications were encountered in the nonirradiated cohort. In the irradiated cohort, there were 2 minor wound complications and 1 admission for stridor treated medically. No cases of implant extrusion were observed. The VHI-10 scores were improved in both cohorts relative to preoperative baseline (P = .001). Posttreatment VHI-10 scores were better in the nonirradiated cohort (P = .03). There was no difference between cohorts with respect to complication rates, surgical time, surgical difficulty, length of stay, use of a surgical drain, or need for revision surgery. Conclusion Laryngeal framework surgery is safe and associated with improved voice outcomes in patients with a history of neck irradiation.
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Innervation of the Heart at Rest and Work in Man as Judged by Heart Rate and Sinus-Arrhythmia

Heart rate is much used as a parameter of cardiac performance, demonstrating the chronotropic responses to adaptive processes. This adaptation is effected by the cardiac innervation, reflecting the activity of centres in the brain stem as well as their interactions with the influences of central drives and afferent inputs (1). Exact measurements of heart rate at rest show the oscillations of sinus arrhythmia, synchronized with respiration, and slower rhythms. These can be considered as the expression of interactions of different origin (2, 3, 4). Until now their precise mechanism especially in concrete situations in man is not exactly known, though alterations of heart rate and sinus arrhythmia on physical work have been described (5).
Introduction: Global Warming and Militarism

Global warming1 is a huge and complex issue, and part of a wider environmental crisis, which includes an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. Linked to the carbon dioxide (CO2) created by burning fossil fuels — one of the main causes of global warming — is the issue of peak oil, where declining availability of oil will have major impacts on most nations. This chapter will give a brief overview of these issues. Its major focus, however, is on militarism’s enormous but rarely-discussed contribution to these environmental and resource depletion crises. It will examine how militarism is exempt from most environmental scrutiny, and diverts resources away from addressing environmental issues. We also take a look at the military-industrial complex, the interconnected web of industries and governments that profits from and promotes militarism.
Impacts of Teacher–Child Managed Whole-Group Language and Literacy Instruction on the Depth of Preschoolers’ Social Interaction

AbstractResearch Findings: This study examined the potential impacts of ongoing participation (twice weekly for 30 weeks) in teacher–child managed whole-group language and literacy instruction on prekindergarten children’s social interaction with classmates. Teacher–child managed whole-group instruction that provides children with opportunities to engage with all of their classmates regularly may potentially deepen the social depth within a classroom (i.e., the frequency with which children regularly interact with each other). Provision of this type of instruction occurred via teachers’ implementation of a whole-class literacy curriculum twice weekly. Participants were 119 preschoolers who received an experimental literacy curriculum in 26 classrooms and 76 children in 17 business-as-usual control classrooms. Condition predicted the strength of children’s social interaction, suggesting that children in experimental classrooms had relatively stronger social ties with peers than children in control classroo...
Judicial Philosophy and the Warren Court

"There may be narrower scope for operation of the presumption of constitutionality when legislation appears on its face to be within a specific prohibition of the Constitution, such as those of the first ten amendments, which are deemed equally specific when held to be embraced within the Fourteenth.''1 The previous quote, perhaps the most famous footnote in legal history, marked the beginning of the long overdue incorporation of the Bill of Rights to the states via the Due Process Clause of the Constitution.2 Chief Justice Harlan Stone's majority opinion in U.S. v. Carolene Products (1938) produced the opinion with the above footnote attached to it. "Footnote Four" is extremely important to understanding the judicial philosophy of the Warren Court.
Agreeing to Collaborate in Advance

Collaborative law is steadily gaining popularity and acceptance as a way to solve legal disputes without the intervention of the court system. Under collaborative law, the attorneys are litigation-only counsel, and counsel and the parties agree to forego traditional litigation processes, such as discovery and motion practice, in favor of collaboration, free exchange of information, and settlement. An unexplored question exists regarding whether parties can agree in advance to use collaborative law in the event of a future dispute between the parties, much in the way parties commonly agree to arbitrate or mediate in a pre-dispute agreement (PDA). This Article examines the enforceability of PDAs for arbitration, mediation, and negotiation to predict that a PDA for collaborative law would not be enforced by the courts or should be enforced under collaborative law policy.
The influence of payor status on outcomes associated with surgical repair of upper gastrointestinal perforations due to peptic ulcer disease in the United States.

Abstract Background An association between lack of insurance and inferior outcomes has been well described for a number of surgical emergencies, yet little is known about the relationship of payor status and outcomes of patients undergoing emergent surgical repair for upper gastrointestinal (UGI) perforations. We evaluated the association of payor status and in-hospital mortality for patients undergoing emergency surgery for UGI perforations in the United States. Methods Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was queried to identify patients between 18 and 64 years of age who underwent emergent (open or laparoscopic) repair for UGI perforations secondary to peptic ulcer disease (2010–2014). Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were major and minor postoperative complications. The main predictor outcome was insurance status (Private, Medicaid, Uninsured). Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed. Data were weighted to provide national estimates. Results 21,005 patients underwent surgical repair for UGI perforations. Patients with private insurance represented the largest payor group (47%). After adjustment of other factors, payor status was not a statistically significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (Medicaid vs. Private: [OR] 1.1; 95% [CI] 0.67–1.81; Uninsured vs. Private: OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.52–1.61). However, payor status remained a statistically significant predictor of major postoperative complications (Medicaid vs. Private [OR] 1.4; 95% CI 1.1, 1.8; Uninsured vs. Private [OR]1.2, 95% CI 0.9, 1.5) and minor postoperative complications (Medicaid vs. Private [OR] 1.4; 95% CI 1.1, 1.9; Uninsured vs. Private [OR]1.2, 95% CI 0.9, 1.6). Conclusions Emergency surgery for UGI perforations is associated with high mortality and morbidity across all payor classes; however, Medicaid is a predictor for both major and minor postoperative complications. Preventing perforation through preventative measures will be key to reducing the burden of peptic ulcer disease across all populations.
Lens Fiber Cell Differentiation

The fiber cell is the definitive lens cell type. Although only one of the two cell types comprising the lens, the fiber cells make up the vast majority of the lens volume; and specialized adaptations of lens fiber cells give the lens its characteristic spheroid shape, transparency, and its high refractive index. In this article, the differentiation of lens fiber cells from their precursor cell types is discussed with an emphasis on the important adaptations that characterize each stage of lens fiber cell development. Although all vertebrates undergo similar lens development, emphasis in the article is on mammalian lens development, with exceptions noted.
Surgery for Barrett’s Esophagus: From Metaplasia to Cancer

This chapter reviews the management of patient with Barrett’s esophagus, from metaplasia to high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal cancer.
EFFECTS OF INHIBITION OF ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME ON MYOCARDIAL AND MYOCYTE REMODELING IN CHRONIC VOLUME OVERLOAD-INDUCED CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY IN THE DOG

The data from our studies with chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) in the dog demonstrate that the ventricular and myocyte remodeling in this model, characterized by ventricular dilation and myocyte elongation, are not returned toward normal by treatment with the converting enzyme inhibitor, ramipril. However, in spite of this failure to reduce cardiac hypertrophy or to prevent the remodeling associated with this model of chronic volume overload, there was functional improvement in the animals, as determined by the lower left ventricular filling pressures and pulmonary artery pressures in the treated animals compared with the controls. Ramipril also returned myocardial Ang II levels to control level. This suggests that there may have been a regulatory mechanism on contractile function acting through this chemical mediator.
Hash Table Design and Optimization for Software Virtual Switches

Flow classification is a common first step in various virtual network functions (VNFs), Software Defined Networking (SDN) applications, as well as network infrastructure components including virtual switches and routers. Software flow classification often employs hash table based lookup mechanisms, where a key constructed from an input packet is looked up across the different rules stored in the table and the corresponding action (e.g., forward, encapsulate, etc.) is retrieved. In this paper we analyze, in depth, various hash table design options and optimizations used in the state-of-the-art virtual switches, and how hardware resources impact the performance. Based on the understanding, we summarize the pros and cons of different designs, and provide insights toward further optimizations. The understanding gained through our analysis also sheds lights on how to design optimal hash tables for flow classification for various use cases.
When Life Becomes a Game: A Moral Lesson from Søren Kierkegaard and Bernard Suits

Hidden among the many fascinating things that Bernard Suits says in his classic The Grasshopper is a passing observation he makes about one of the works of Soren Kierkegaard, the Seducer’s Diary. T...
Non-physician grader reliability in measuring morphological features of the optic nerve head in stereo digital images

To introduce a new method of grading optic nerve stereo disc photographs and evaluate reproducibility of assessments by non-physician graders in a reading center. Three non-physician graders, experienced in grading features of the retina but not the optic nerve head (ONH), were trained by glaucoma specialists to assess digital stereo color images of the ONH. These graders assessed a total of 2554 digital stereo disc images from glaucoma cases and controls participating in the Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics (POAAGG) study by outlining the optic cup and disc. Inter-grader reproducibility of area, height, and width measurements was analyzed. Among all images, the intraclass correlation (95% confidence interval) was 0.90 (0.89, 0.90) for the cup area using only color cues; 0.92 (0.91, 0.92) for the cup area using contour and vascular cues; and 0.99 (0.99, 0.99) for the optic disc area. The intraclass correlation for cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) was 0.61 (0.58, 0.63), as determined by the ratio of optic cup area to optic disc area (using contour and vascular cues). The CDR difference by graders for area was ≤ 0.1 in 65% of images using color/vascular cues and ≤0.1 in 71% of images using color cues. After adequate training, non-physician graders were able to measure the optic nerve CDR with high inter-grader reliability.
The Social Buyer: A Framework for the Dynamic Role of Social Media in Organizational Buying

Abstract Social media plays a central role in information and knowledge management to support business-to-business (B2B) buying decisions. To date, research has yet to delineate the mechanisms through which social media information relates to B2B buying and subsequent organizational outcomes. To describe this process, we build on social media's ability to facilitate conveyance and convergence processes within the buying unit enabling knowledge discovery, knowledge sharing, and knowledge interpretation. Based on an organizational knowledge framework, we derive propositions about the role of social media in B2B buying and delineate boundary conditions for its influence within the B2B buying unit and the organization. This research sets the foundation for future empirical work at the intersection of B2B and social media.
Attraction, arrestment, and preference by immature Trogoderma variabile and Trogoderma granarium to food and pheromonal stimuli

The invasive khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium, is an economically destructive species and the only stored product insect pest that is quarantined in the USA. In the past several decades, there have been an increasing number of interceptions of T. granarium at ports in the USA. The established trap and lure used for surveillance of T. granarium in high risk areas was developed 30 years ago, but since then new lures containing food and/or pheromonal stimuli have become available. In the USA, researchers must work with it in an approved quarantine facility, which slows research and development into mitigation strategies for the species. However, there are closely related dermestids already in the USA but not under quarantine, such as Trogoderma variabile, which may be able to act as a surrogate species for the behavioral responses of T. granarium. Thus, we evaluated the attraction to, arrestment by, and preference between different semiochemical stimuli for immature life stages of both these species and determined whether T. variabile could serve as a surrogate species for T. granarium. While all lures showed some positive response in each of the assays, lures with food cues and pheromones together exhibited the most consistent positive response by larval T. granarium. However, the behavioral response of T. variabile was not consistently correlated with that of T. granarium. Our study contributes updated data that can be used by biosecurity experts in developing surveillance programs for T. granarium.
Navier–Stokes Equations

The dynamics of the Newtonian fluids considered here are determined by the laws of classical mechanics, a selection of references for the derivation of the fundamental pdes from these laws are Lamb [1], Landau and Lifshitz [2], Serrin [3], Majda and Bertozzi [4], Wu et al. [5]. The description and analysis of fully developed turbulent flows is the central theme. Turbulence in superfluids, i.e. liquid helium below the \(\lambda \)-temperature \(T=2.17\) K at atmospheric pressure, exhibits properties similar to turbulence in classical Newtonian fluids for vanishing viscosity, but are also subject to quantum-mechanical phenomena that do not have counterparts in classical fluid mechanics.
Anisotropy of Langmuir turbulence and the Langmuir-enhanced mixed layer entrainment

Surface waves in the ocean surface boundary layer can create Langmuir turbulence which has structure distinct from shear turbulence in a conventional boundary layer. We show that the distinctive structure of Langmuir turbulence is quickly lost away from the surface, so that near the boundary layer base it becomes indistinguishable from turbulence in the absence of surface waves. This has important implications for modeling the effect of ocean surface waves on the boundary layer entrainment and improving ocean surface boundary layer parameterizations in Earth system models.
Prospects and challenges for use of CAR T cell therapies in solid tumors

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has provided patients with relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies a new therapeutic option, but this class of therapeutics has not demo...
Lectures on Quantum Mechanics: A Primer for Mathematicians

Quantum mechanics is one of the principle pillars of modern physics. It also remains a topic of great interest to mathematicians. Since its discovery it has inspired and been inspired by many topics within modern mathematics, including functional analysis and operator algebras, Lie groups, Lie algebras and their representations, principle bundles, distribution theory, and much more. Written with beginning graduate students in mathematics in mind, this book provides a thorough treatment of (nonrelativistic) quantum mechanics in a style that is leisurely, without the usual theorem-proof grammar of pure mathematics, while remaining mathematically honest. The author takes the time to fully develop the required mathematics and employs a consistent mathematical presentation to clarify the often-confusing notation of physics texts. Along the way the reader encounters several topics requiring more advanced mathematics than found in many discussions of the subject, making for a fascinating course in how mathematics and physics interact.
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND SOCIAL NEEDS: Integrating Social Care into Health care to Improve the Nation's Health

Over the last thirty years, consistent and compelling evidence has documented strong associations between socio‐economic risk factors and health outcomes. This has led to a growing number of payment and practice innovations across the health care sector related to identifying and addressing patient social risks alongside more traditional biomedical care. In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) convened a one‐year national expert committee charged with examining the potential for integrating social care and health care services to achieve better health outcomes and to help overcome major challenges facing the U.S. health care system. Over the course of 2018‐2019, the NASEM Consensus Study Committee conducted multiple literature reviews and held several open meetings to gather evidence related to the charge. Though much of the innovation in this field relates to primary care, evidence was also reviewed from other health disciplines. The final committee report highlights five health care sector approaches to providing social care and to strengthening the social resources landscape, including increasing awareness about patients’ social risks; making adjustments to clinical care based on social needs; providing assistance to more consistently and effectively link patients with community‐based social resources; better aligning health care resources with community social care activities; and ensuring the health care system is involved in advocacy activities to strengthen social resources. The report also explores the workforce demands of social and medical care integration; health information and technology needs of social and medical care integration; payment models that can support integration; and other major barriers to integration. The NASEM report articulates concrete approaches for the health care sector to address social needs as one part of comprehensive strategies to improve patient and population health and health equity. Key policy recommendations based on the report findings include designing a health care system to accommodate the five approaches; recruiting and training a workforce able to provide social care; developing financing mechanisms that support integrated care activities; improving an interoperable digital infrastructure across health and social care sectors; and funding, conducting, and translating research on effectiveness and implementation of integrated care activities. 40 funders convened to support the NASEM consensus study.
Use of geosynthetics to mitigate problems associated with expansive clay subgrades

Geosynthetics have recently been used for base course stabilization of roadways subjected to environmental loads associated with the presence of expansive clay subgrades. Repeated cycles of wet and...
Cancer caregiver reports of post-traumatic growth following spousal hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Cancer caregivers are at risk for experiencing health issues due to the stress of caregiving. Despite this, it is possible to prompt adaptive coping during the cancer experience. Adaptive coping is...
Tight Bounds on the Effective Complex Permittivity of Isotropic Composites and Related Problems

Almost four decades ago, Bergman and Milton independently showed that the isotropic effective electric permittivity of a two-phase composite material with a given volume fraction is constrained to lie within lens-shaped regions in the complex plane that are bounded by two circular arcs. An implication of particular significance is a set of limits to the maximum and minimum absorption of an isotropic composite material at a given frequency. Here, after giving a short summary of the underlying theory, we show that the bound corresponding to one of the circular arcs is at least almost optimal by introducing a certain class of hierarchical laminates. In regard to the second arc, we show that a tighter bound can be derived using variational methods. This tighter bound is optimal as it corresponds to assemblages of doubly coated spheres, which can be easily approximated by more realistic microstructures. We briefly discuss the implications for related problems, including bounds on the complex polarizability.
North American Muslim Satire on YouTube: Combatting or Reinforcing Stereotypes?

Based on interviews with a racially diverse group of 10 college students and the textual analysis of two episodes of a 2016 web series, Guess Who’s Muslim, produced by Canadian Muslims shown on the...
Bariatric surgery proves long-term benefit in patients with cirrhosis.

Background Obesity is commonly observed in patients with cirrhosis, especially with the increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Bariatric surgery has been avoided in these patients given concerns about increased perioperative risk; therefore, data are lacking regarding long-term outcomes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with cirrhosis who underwent bariatric surgery. Methods We reviewed the charts of adult patients with compensated cirrhosis who underwent bariatric surgery after they were prospectively enrolled between February 23, 2009 and November 9, 2011, and followed in a pilot study for evaluation of bariatric surgery outcomes. Only patients with more than 4 years of follow-up were included in the analysis. Data regarding their liver disease, metabolic status, and survival were collected. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results The cohort consisted of 10 patients, of whom 7 were females. The median post-surgical follow-up was 8.7 years (± 1.4 years). All patients had biopsy-proven NASH; two patients had concurrent, untreated hepatitis C infection. During the observation period, there was a mean weight loss of 24 kg (19.2% of total body weight pre surgery, P < 0.001) and only one patient regained weight to the baseline pre-surgical measurement. One patient who was not eligible for transplant developed hepatic encephalopathy 3 years after surgery and later died. The remainder of the patients did not have any hepatic decompensation, cardiovascular event, or mortality. Except for one patient with Gilbert syndrome, bilirubin was normal in all patients at last follow-up. Conclusions Bariatric surgery in patients with compensated cirrhosis can lead to sustained weight loss and stable hepatic function on long-term follow-up.
DOAV Estimation Using Special Antenna Array Structure

Estimating the Direction of Arrival of a point using a planar array is well understood when the source is assumed stationary during the observation interval. In this paper, we classify every technique that relies on this strong assumption as a conventional approach. Many techniques have been proposed to estimate the azimuth and elevation angles pair. If we move away from this assumption and let the source move during the observation window, the parameters azimuth and elevation are now time-varying. In this case, additional parameters such as angular velocities in azimuth and elevation can also be estimated. The additional parameters can provide more accurate information to help predict the next position of the object. Often when the number of parameters of interest increases, as is the case here, the complexity of the problem also increases. In this situation, we always look for techniques to reduce computational complexity. Sometimes the reduction in complexity comes in the form of transformation, rotation, or antenna array geometry. In this presentation, we use a special antenna array structure to reduce computational complexity and estimate the planar array parameters of interest.
Smoking History as a Potential Predictor of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Efficacy in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND Despite the therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in a subset of patients, consistent and easily obtainable predictors of efficacy remain elusive. METHODS This study was conducted on 644 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with ICI monotherapy between April 2013 and September 2020 at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Patient smoking history, clinicopathological characteristics, tumor mutation burden (TMB) by clinical targeted next generation sequencing, and PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) by immunohistochemistry were prospectively collected. The association of smoking history with clinical outcomes of ICI monotherapy in metastatic NSCLC patients was evaluated after adjusting for other potential predictors. All statistical tests were 2-sided. RESULTS Of 644 advanced NSCLC patients 105 (16.3%) were never smokers, 375 (58.2%) were former smokers (median pack-years = 28), and 164 (25.4%) were current smokers (median pack-years = 40). Multivariable logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses suggested that doubling of smoking pack-years is statistically significantly associated with improved clinical outcomes of patients treated with ICI monotherapy (objective response rate odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.36, P < .001; progression-free survival hazard ratio = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.88-0.95, P < .001; overall survival hazard ratio = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.90-0.99, P = .01). Predictive models incorporating pack-years and PD-L1 TPS yielded additional information and achieved similar model performance compared to using TMB and PD-L1 TPS. CONCLUSIONS Increased smoking exposure had a statistically significant association with improved clinical outcomes in metastatic NSCLC treated with ICI monotherapy independent of PD-L1 TPS. Pack-years may serve as a consistent and readily obtainable surrogate of ICI efficacy when TMB is not available to inform prompt clinical decisions and allow more patients to benefit from ICIs.
Thin or Thick, Real or Ideal: How Thinking Through Fatness Can Help Us See the Dangers of Idealized Conceptions of Patients, Providers, Health, and Disease

The fundamental standard of health care is health. Theories of health affect how we conceive of good health, ill health (and thus disease), Good patients, and Good providers. They also profoundly affect how we go about attempting to solve health problems once we’ve identified them. In this chapter, I argue that the way health care providers, bioethicists, and public health experts approach health relies on ideal theory despite the heavy knowledge that this world will never be ideal. We need a conception of health that accounts for this. I outline the weakness of ideal theory in general and with respect to theories of health, and argue in favor of a nonideal approach to health that is rooted in intersubjectivity, empiricism, inclusivity, contextual specificity, and reflexivity which are not entrusted to any one set of knowers. Throughout, I use the example of how we approach fatness, and medicalize obesity, to illustrate where we’ve gone wrong and to chart a path toward how we can go right.
Where greenspace matters most: A systematic review of urbanicity, greenspace, and physical health

Abstract Greenspace in urban areas may have greater protective health effects than elsewhere. Urban dwellers experience more environmental harmful exposures, attentional demands, and stressors than their suburban/rural counterparts. In this systematic review, we synthesize the results of studies that examined how the greenspace and health relationship varies by urbanicity. We searched for articles in April 2019 that found positive associations between greenspace and physical health. Included articles tested for effect modification by urbanicity among one or more (of eight total) outcomes relevant to health and environmental equity. We coded results as 1 = stronger association in more urban areas, −1 = stronger association in less urban areas, or 0 = no difference. We found 57 analyses in 37 articles that met our inclusion criteria. Among these analyses, 50.9% showed no difference, 38.6% showed a stronger association for more urban areas, and 10.5% showed a stronger association for less urban areas. More urban areas had stronger associations for cardiovascular-related, birth, and mortality outcomes and for greenspace measured within 500 m. Stronger greenspace-health associations in more urban areas might be explained in part by the mechanistic pathways underlying these associations. Greenspace can reduce harms from environmental exposures (i.e., air pollution, noise, heat, and artificial light at night) in addition to alleviating attentional demands, reducing chronic stressors, and promoting healthy behavior - factors which might be more necessary, prevalent, or stronger in urban areas. These potential explanations warrant further investigation. The findings of this review inform public health policy and planning professionals who are attempting to make cities livable for all residents.
Asymmetric neutron--proton bremsstrahlung at 130 MeV

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the asymmetric neutron–proton bremsstrahlung at 130 MeV. Coplanar asymmetric neutron–proton bremmstrahlung (npγ) is calculated at 130 MeV to compare the experiment of Edgington et al. The coupling of the electromagnetic field to the nucleon currents includes, in addition to the usual terms Vem arising from the kinetic-energy part of the Hamiltonian, terms Vem induced by the nuclear potential. These terms are required to preserve gauge invariance when the nuclear potential has momentum dependence or an exchange nature. The potential Vem gives rise to all the external radiation and the part of the internal radiation that was previously called “rescattering term.” The chapter explains that the inclusion of the internal radiation considerably enhances the npγ cross- section, and most of this enhancement is because of the exchange contribution.
Ethanolamine deaminase, a cobamide coenzyme-dependent enzyme. II. Physical and chemical properties and interaction with cobamides and ethanolamine.

Abstract A purified preparation of clostridial ethanolamine deaminase was shown to be homogeneous by sedimentation in the ultracentrifuge and by disc gel electrophoresis. The enzyme has an s20,w of 14.5 S and a weight average molecular weight of 520,000 g. Treatment with 5 m guanidine hydrochloride results in dissociation of subunits with a weight average molecular weight of 51,000 g. Amino acid analysis of native and performic acid-oxidized deaminase indicated the presence of 3 moles of half-cystine residues per minimum molecular weight of 28,700 g. Titration with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) yielded only 1 mole of free sulfhydryl group per mole of native enzyme (520,000 g) but in the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate 15 sulfhydryl groups per molecule were titratable. The spectrum of the enzyme contains a prominent peak at 470 mµ, with other peaks at 357, 410, and 530 mµ. The chromophore was resolved from the enzyme by treatment with acid-ammonium sulfate. On resolution, the 470 mµ peak of the enzyme disappeared and the dissociated chromophore had a spectrum similar to that of hydroxocobalamin and related cobamides. The chromophore was identified as an α-(adenylyl)cobamide by paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis. Between 1.35 and 3.1 moles of cobamide were found per mole of native enzyme. On resolution, the specific activity of the deaminase, when tested in the presence of added cobamide coenzyme, increased an average of 38%. Hydroxocobalamin, cyanocobalamin, and methylcobalamin were shown to be irreversible inhibitors of ethanolamine deaminase. Incubation of resolved enzyme with varying amounts of hydroxocobalamin resulted in complete inhibition of the enzyme after the binding of 2 to 3 moles of cobamide per mole of enzyme. The enzyme was able to bind about 7 moles of hydroxocobalamin per mole. In both the presence and absence of ethanolamine, incubation of the enzyme resulted in the slow appearance of a spectral peak at 352 mµ. Oxidation and Schmidt degradation of acetaldehyde produced by the enzymatic deamination of 1-14C-ethanolamine hydrochloride showed that the aldehyde carbon of the acetaldehyde is derived from the carbinol carbon of ethanolamine.
Renin-Angiotensin System Antagonists in Patients Without Left Ventricular Dysfunction After Percutaneous Intervention for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

There is a paucity of evidence on the impact of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on long-term outcomes in patients with ejection fraction (EF) >40% after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We compared long-term all-cause mortality between patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >40% discharged on ACEi/ARB with patients who were discharged on neither of these agents. Patients discharged after percutaneous intervention for STEMI from our catheterization laboratories from January 2002 to December 2011 were considered for inclusion. Patients were excluded if they had LVEF 40% after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI.
Cross-sectional longitudinal study of the academic half-day format in a hematology-oncology fellowship training program

Background: Few published studies have evaluated the effectiveness of changing the traditional curriculum of several hourly educational sessions per week to an academic half-day (AHD) educational format. This study describes our experience with implementing an AHD format in the Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and evaluates the perceptions that learners had for this format. Methods: Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach, we evaluated our AHD program using four yearly fellows’ surveys to assess the Hematology-Oncology Fellows’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the AHD format. We analyzed the fellows’ perceptions using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected from the surveys. We used a quality improvement approach by implementing and testing changes to the AHD over 4 years on the basis of the data collected from the yearly fellows’ surveys. We also collected third-year fellows’ Oncology In Training Exam (ITE) scores from 2008 to 2014. Results: We found that the fellows perceived the AHD format favorably; fellows agreed that they had more motivation to attend AHD, more concentration during the sessions, more effective weekly work organization, and increased knowledge retention. We established the reliability of our survey tool (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83) as well as content and construct validity. We saw an increasing trend in ITE scores since the AHD was implemented. Conclusions: Our results contribute to further understanding the effect of the AHD format on trainees. Using a continuous evaluation and an educational quality improvement strategy, we found that the AHD curriculum was associated with a rising trend in learners’ exam scores and increased learner satisfaction.
Structure of Asymmetric Diblock Copolymers in Thin Films

The structure of asymmetric poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-PVP) diblock copolymers allowed to order in a thin film is observed by a combination of secondary ion mass spectrometry and scanning ...
Breeding season communication hypotheses for delayed plumage maturation in passerines: tests in the orchard oriole, Icterus spurius

Abstract Model/playback experiments were conducted on a breeding population of orchard orioles in central Illinois to test predictions of breeding season communication hypotheses for the function and evolution of delayed plumage maturation in passerines. Paired combinations of adult male, subadult male and female models (stuffed birds) were presented to territorial adult male orioles along with recordings of either female or male song. In all cases, territorial adult males distinguished male from female models and adult male from subadult male models, treating female models less aggressively than both adult male and subadult male models, but treating subadult male models significantly more aggressively than adult male models. Subadult plumage may provide accurate cues of sex and age in orchard orioles, but does not serve an evolved communicative function during the breeding season. Subadult plumage also is potentially costly in the context of intra-sexual aggressive encounters. By contrast, subadult plumage reduces intrasexual aggression in several other species. Differences among species in the reaction of males to subadult male plumage may be due to species-specific differences in the reliability of plumage cues of sex and age. In any event, the results of the present study indicate that none of the breeding season communication hypotheses provides a general explanation for the evolution of delayed plumage maturation and stress the importance of considering the costs as well as the benefits of subadult plumage.
Robust material handling system design with standard deviation, variance and downside risk as risk measures

Abstract The design and planning of major storage systems belong to the class of systems design problems under uncertainty. The overall structure of the system is determined during the design stage while the values of the future conditions and the future planning decisions are not known with certainty. Typically the future uncertainty is modeled through a number of scenarios and each scenario has an individual time-discounted total system cost. The overall performance of the material handling system (MHS) is characterized by the distribution of these scenario costs. The central tendency of the cost distribution is always computed as the expected value of the distribution. Several alternatives for the dispersion of the distribution can be used. In this study the standard deviation, variance, and the downside risk of the cost distribution are investigated as the risk measures of the system. We propose an algorithm to efficiently identify all configurations of the MHS that are Pareto-optimal with respect to the tradeoff between the expected value of the costs and the risk; such Pareto-optimal configurations are also called efficient. Although the MHS model has non-linear constraints, our proposed algorithm can solve such non-linear models taking into account both the expected costs and the risk. The final selection of the storage system for implementation can then be made based on the Pareto graph and other considerations such as the risk preferences of the system owner. The algorithms developed are illustrated through a case study which helps in developing business insights for the warehouse and MHS design planners and decision makers.
AM1, MNDO and MM2 studies of concatenated cyclobutanes: Prismanes, ladderanes and asteranes

Abstract Semiempirical calculations have been performed on a variety of hydrocarbons composed of fused cyclobutane rings using the MNDO, AM1 and MM2 methods. The systems studied include linearly concatenated cyclobutanes (ladderanes), cyclic structures (prismanes) and two “star-shaped” (CH)24 hydrocarbons, helvetane and israelane. The results reported include optimized geometries, heats of formation and vibrational frequencies. The performance of the theoretical models is evaluated and the relative stabilities of the structures are discussed.