cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nowcasting air quality by fusing insights from meteorological data, satellite imagery and social media images using deep learning

Peatland fire and haze events in Southeast Asia are disasters with trans-boundary implications, having increased in recent years along with rapid deforestation, land clearing and severe dry seasons. Aerosols are emitted in high concentrations from the fires, which degrade air quality and reduce visibility, in turn causing economic, social, health, and environmental problems. During haze events, it is critical for public authorities to have timely information about affected populations. Currently, Indonesian disaster management authorities manage forest and peatland fire and haze events based on satellite data and sensors. They are looking for more real-time information in order to better protect vulnerable populations and environment. This paper explores information on visibility extracted from photos shared on social media to improve forecasting performance for haze severity. Our results show that visibility information can improve forecast accuracy over a baseline approach with common features, namely data from satellites and ground air quality sensors. Furthermore, by using social media photos, our model adds a near real-time property to the forecast model, with potential to improve disaster management and mitigation,
Routine Assessment of Health Impacts of Local Transportation Plans: A Case Study From the City of Los Angeles.

Objectives. To determine the health impacts of three future scenarios of travel behavior by mode for the City of Los Angeles, California, and to provide specific recommendations for how to conduct ...
Overall Survival Improved for Contemporary Patients with Melanoma: A 2004-2015 National Cancer Database Analysis.

Since 2011, encouraging clinical trial results have led to approval of multiple new therapies for advanced melanoma, but the impact of these therapies outside of trial populations is largely unknown. This study examines use of novel therapies and survival in contemporary patients with melanoma. Stage I–IV melanoma patients were identified in the 2004–2015 National Cancer Database and grouped into historic (2004–2010) and contemporary (2011–2015) cohorts. Overall survival (OS) was compared using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard modeling adjusting for patient, tumor, and facility characteristics. Of 268,668 patients, 136,828 were classified as historic and 131,840 as contemporary. Among all stages, immunotherapy utilization was significantly higher among contemporary patients (5.3% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.006). Adjusted OS was improved in the contemporary cohort (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.90 p < 0.001). There was no difference in OS among stage I/II patients between groups (HR: 0.99, p = 0.63), while OS was significantly improved for contemporary stage III/IV patients (HR: 0.85, p < 0.001). Among stage III/IV patients who received immunotherapy, OS was improved for the contemporary cohort (HR: 0.87, p = 0.014). Adjusted overall survival for contemporary melanoma patients is improved. This effect is driven by improvements for those with advanced stage disease, particularly those that received immunotherapy and BRAF/MEK targeted therapies.
Child Maltreatment, Early Adult Substance Use, and Mediation by Adolescent Behavior Problems:

The purpose of the current study was to examine the potential mediating effects of internalizing and externalizing problems at ages 14, 16 and 18 between types of childhood maltreatment and alcohol and marijuana use problems and disorders in young adulthood. Data were from 473 young adults who participated in the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Path analysis was conducted to examine pathways between maltreatment type (birth through age 12), internalizing and externalizing problems at three time points during adolescence, and alcohol and marijuana problem use in young adulthood. Findings indicated significant pathways between physical abuse and internalizing problems at 14, which was associated with alcohol-related substance use disorder in adulthood. Externalizing problems and internalizing problems at age 14 mediated the relationship between physical abuse and marijuana-related symptoms in young adulthood. Emotional and sexual abuse were not associated with substance use problems. Implications for practice are discussed.
Convergence of eigenstate expectation values with system size

Understanding the asymptotic behavior of physical quantities in the thermodynamic limit is a fundamental problem in statistical mechanics. In this paper, we study how fast the eigenstate expectation values of a local operator converge to a smooth function of energy density as the system size diverges. In translationally invariant systems in any spatial dimension, we prove that for all but a measure zero set of local operators, the deviations of finite-size eigenstate expectation values from the aforementioned smooth function are lower bounded by $1/O(N)$, where $N$ is the system size. The lower bound holds regardless of the integrability or chaoticity of the model, and is tight in systems satisfying the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis.
Examination of Voluntary Compliance with New FDA Cigar Warning Label Requirements

Objectives The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new requirements to strengthen and increase the size of cigar warnings. Although these requirements were challenged in court by the cigar industry, and later struck down, cigar manufacturers had the option of voluntarily complying during the injunction. In this study, we examined voluntary warning compliance on a sample of discarded cigar wrappers. Methods Warnings were examined on a sample of 1352 discarded cigar wrappers and packs obtained from 15 census tracts in Oakland, California in February 2019. Warnings were coded for new requirement compliance (ie, sized at 30% or more on front and back of pack). Results Overall, 67.3% of wrappers displayed compliant warnings - other wrappers had smaller warnings only on the front (30.6%), only on the back (1.5%) or no warning (0.4%). Cigar warning placement was significantly associated with brand (p < .01), cigar type (p < .01), and unit size (p < .01). The prevalence of warning compliance was at least 90% for 6 brands but ranged from 0% to 65% for others. Compliance was lowest for cigarillos (62.1%) and packs of 3 (27.6%). Conclusions Strengthening cigar warnings can help increase their effectiveness, but cigar manufacturers may not voluntarily implement changes fully. Continued surveillance and renewed regulatory efforts are warranted.
Share to Seek: The Effects of Disease Complexity on Health Information-Seeking Behavior.

Background: Web-based question and answer (Q&A) sites have emerged as an alternative source for serving individuals’ health information needs. Although a number of studies have analyzed user-generated content in web-based Q&A sites, there is insufficient understanding of the effect of disease complexity on information-seeking needs and the types of information shared, and little research has been devoted to the questions concerning multimorbidity. Objective: This study aims to investigate seeking of health information in Q&A sites at different levels of disease complexity. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of disease complexity on information-seeking needs, types of information shared, and stages of disease development. Methods: First, we selected a random sample of 400 questions separately from each of the Q&A sites: Yahoo Answers and WebMD Answers. The data cleaning resulted in a final set of 624 questions from the two sites. We used a mixed methods approach, including qualitative content analysis and quantitative statistical analysis. Results: The one-way results of ANOVA showed significant effects of disease complexity (single vs multimorbid disease questions) on two information-seeking needs: diagnosis (F1,622=5.08; P=.02) and treatment (F1,622=4.82; P=.02). There were also significant differences between the two levels of disease complexity in two stages of disease development: the general health stage (F1,622=48.02; P<.001) and the chronic stage (F1,622=54.01; P<.001). In addition, our results showed significant effects of disease complexity across all types of shared information: demographic information (F1,622=32.24; P<.001), medical diagnosis (F1,622=11.04; P<.001), and treatment and prevention (F1,622=14.55; P<.001). Conclusions: Our findings present implications for the design of web-based Q&A sites to better support health information seeking. Future studies should be conducted to validate the generality of these findings and apply them to improve the effectiveness of health information in Q&A sites.
Release of the ribosome biogenesis factor Bud23 from small subunit precursors in yeast

Abstract Ribosomes are the universally conserved ribonucleoprotein complexes that synthesize proteins. The two subunits of the eukaryotic ribosome are produced through a quasi-independent assembly-line-like pathway involving the hierarchical actions of numerous trans-acting biogenesis factors and the incorporation of ribosomal proteins. The factors work together to shape the nascent subunits through a series of intermediate states into their functional architectures. The earliest intermediate of the small subunit (SSU or 40S) is the SSU Processome which is subsequently transformed into the pre-40S intermediate. This transformation is, in part, facilitated by the binding of the methyltransferase Bud23. How Bud23 is released from the resultant pre-40S is not known. The ribosomal proteins Rps0, Rps2, and Rps21, termed the Rps0-cluster proteins, and several biogenesis factors are known to bind the pre-40S around the time that Bud23 is released, suggesting that one or more of these factors induce Bud23 release. Here, we systematically examined the requirement of these factors for the release of Bud23 from pre-40S particles. We found that the Rps0-cluster proteins are needed but not sufficient for Bud23 release. The atypical kinase/ATPase Rio2 shares a binding site with Bud23 and is thought to be recruited to pre-40S after the Rps0-cluster proteins. Depletion of Rio2 prevented the release of Bud23 from the pre-40S. More importantly, the addition of recombinant Rio2 to pre-40S particles affinity-purified from Rio2-depleted cells was sufficient for Bud23 release in vitro. The ability of Rio2 to displace Bud23 was independent of nucleotide hydrolysis. We propose a novel role for Rio2 in which its binding to the pre-40S actively displaces Bud23 from the pre-40S, and we suggest a model in which the binding of the Rps0-cluster proteins and Rio2 promote the release of Bud23.
Adjusting acquisition parameters can impact GB EF assessment in the presence of metastatic liver disease

2506 Objectives Demonstrate that quality control and image acquisition adjustments can be made to overcome challenges in imaging of anatomical variations in quantitative hepatobiliary scan (HS). Methods We propose to display differences in quantitative HS parameters in a patient with suspicion of chronic cholecystitis/gallbladder dyskinesia. This is a 52 year old female with a history of right upper quadrant pain and cholelithiasis referred for a quantitative HS. The scan demonstrated heterogeneous Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) mebrofenin liver uptake. Therefore, identification of the borders of the GB were challenging. Further investigation into the patient’s history revealed the presence of prior carcinoid tumor with liver metastases. This had lead the clinical team to think her pain was due to her liver metastasis. Quantitation of her HS proved to be inconclusive and a repeat scan was suggested. The patient returned twenty-four days later for a repeat study. The repeat scan was acquired with different acquistion parameters yielding a conclusive GB EF. Standard HS imaging guidelines were followed on both scans with the same radiotracer , Tc-99m mebrofenin, 4 to 6 hours of fasting, and no narcoticsfor 6 hours. Similar CCK infusion parameters were also applied. Results The second hepatobiliary scan yielded much more conclusive results with confirmation of an abnormal GB EF. The difference between scans was the first scan was anteriorly (ANT) acquired; the second was acquired with the camera head in the left anterior oblique position (LAO). Comparative imaging was essential to diagnosis and the change in acquisition yielded better delineation of GB borders. Quality control of images prior to CCK infusion proved to be crucial as this allowed adjustment of the camera head in order to obtain the best position for quantiative GB analysis. Conclusions Repeat imaging can be beneficial in patients with altered anatomy in Quantitative Hepatobiliary Scans. Image quality control and adjusting acquisition parameters should be pursued to improve diagnostic accuracy
Dopamine D1 and opioid receptor antagonists differentially reduce the acquisition and expression of fructose-conditioned flavor preferences in BALB/c and SWR mice.

Abstract Sugar appetite is influenced by unlearned and learned preferences in rodents. The present study examined whether dopamine (DA) D1 (SCH23390: SCH) and opioid (naltrexone: NTX) receptor antagonists differentially altered the expression and acquisition of fructose-conditioned flavor preferences (CFPs) in BALB/c and SWR mice. In expression experiments, food-restricted mice alternately (10 sessions, 1 h) consumed a flavored (e.g., cherry) 8% fructose + 0.2% saccharin solution (CS +) and a differently-flavored (e.g., grape) 0.2% saccharin solution (CS −). Two-bottle CS choice tests (1 h) occurred 0.5 h following vehicle: SCH (200 or 800 nmol/kg) or NTX (1 or 5 mg/kg). SCH, but not NTX significantly reduced CS + preference in both strains. In acquisition experiments, 0.5 h prior to 10 acquisition training sessions, vehicle, SCH (50 nmol/kg), NTX (1 mg/kg) or Limited Control vehicle treatments were administered, followed by two-bottle CS choice tests without injections. SCH and NTX reduced training intakes in both strains. BALB/c mice displayed hastened extinction of the fructose-CFP following training with SCH, but not NTX. SCH eliminated fructose-CFP acquisition in SWR mice, whereas NTX hastened extinction of the CFP. These results are compared to previous drug findings obtained with sucrose-CFPs in SWR and BALB/c mice, and are discussed in terms of differential effects of these sugars on oral and post-oral conditioning.
Comet dust: the view after Hale-Bopp

Extensive observations of comet Hale-Bopp from the ground and space have considerably expanded our knowledge of cometary dust.
The Cleveland Clinic: Improving the Patient Experience (Abridged)

In September 2010, Dr. James Merlino, a colorectal surgeon and chief experience officer for the Office of Patient Experience (OPE) at the Cleveland Clinic (CC) located in Cleveland, Ohio, looked up from the article he had been reading in The New Yorker magazine from April of that year. Picking up a pen he marked a single paragraph that had caught his attention: Recently, clinicians at Children’s Hospital Boston adopted a more systematic approach for managing inner-city children who suffer severe asthma attacks, by introducing a bundle of preventive measures. Insurance would cover just one: prescribing an inhaler. The hospital agreed to pay for the rest, which included nurses who would visit parents after discharge and make sure that they had their child’s medicine, knew how to administer it, and had a followup appointment with a pediatrician; home inspections for mold and pests; and vacuum cleaners for families without one (which is cheaper than medication). After a year, the hospital readmission rate for these patients dropped by more than eighty per cent, and costs plunged. But an empty hospital bed is a revenue loss, and asthma is Children’s Hospital’s leading source of admissions. Under the current system, this sensible program could threaten to bankrupt it. 2 He resolved to discuss this paragraph with some of his colleagues the following day. The scenario described in the article reminded him of the challenges he often faced at CC to improve the patient experience. With medical costs rising, Merlino was all too familiar with the pressures to keep costs down and revenues up while also ensuring positive medical outcomes.
Chapter 3 Increasing the Efficiency of Very Large Scale Packed Bed Chromatographic Separations

Publisher Summary The large scale liquid chromatography has witnessed significant growth in the recent years. One of the proposed large scale systems would produce 70,000 ton/year of p -xylene and would have an adsorbent charge o f 270 tons. Elution chromatography was used with recycle of a p -xylene-ethylbenzene mixture. A distillation column was used to recover p -xylene from the desorbent. Commercial columns range from 2.0 t o 12.0 meters high and from 0.5 to 4.0 meters in diameter. A typical unit (for Amino GmbH) processes 60,000 metric tons/year of molasses in seven columns each 3.6 m in diameter and 12 m high. Water is used as the eluant and recycle is employed. For the large scale systems it is generally agreed that several design criteria are important. The design criteria include highly selective packing, high capacity packing, a packing method which produces a uniform packing, good liquid distribution across the column, and limited mixing and zone broadening outside the column.
Capitalizing on the daily time step of snow telemetry data to model the snowmelt components of the hydrograph for small watersheds

Daily time step data from National Resources Conservation Service snow telemetry (SNOTEL) stations were used to estimate components of the snowmelt-dominated hydrograph for three small watersheds in Colorado and Wyoming. Thirty-three years of SNOTEL data was paired with streamflow data to estimate the annual run-off volume (Q100) and peak streamflow (Qpeak), as well as the timing of 20, 50, and 80% (tQ20, tQ50, and tQ80) of the annual streamflow. Multivariate regression models were derived from snow water equivalent (SWE) data for one basin (Joe Wright Creek), and the model components were then retained and applied to the other two watersheds. The basin-specific coefficients developed for the Joe Wright model were also applied to the other two basins to evaluate direct transferability. Peak SWE, date of peak SWE, and number of consecutive days with snow on the ground up to the date of peak SWE had the strongest correlation to streamflow and formed the basis of the models. The optimal model configuration performed well for the tQ20, tQ50, and Q100, with poorer performance for Qpeak and tQ80. Applying the Joe Wright Creek coefficients directly to the other watersheds yielded reasonable results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Innate Immune Defenses in Human Tuberculosis: An Overview of the Interactions between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Innate Immune Cells

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious global public health problem that results in up to 2 million deaths each year. TB is caused by the human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which infects primarily innate immune cells patrolling the lung. Innate immune cells serve as barometers of the immune response against Mtb infection by determining the inflammatory milieu in the lungs and promoting the generation of adaptive immune responses. However, innate immune cells are also potential niches for bacterial replication and are readily manipulated by Mtb. Our understanding of the early interactions between Mtb and innate immune cells is limited, especially in the context of human infection. This review will focus on Mtb interactions with human macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and NK cells and detail evidence that Mtb modulation of these cells negatively impacts Mtb-specific immune responses. Furthermore, this review will emphasize important innate immune pathways uncovered through human immunogenetic studies. Insights into the human innate immune response to Mtb infection are necessary for providing a rational basis for the augmentation of immune responses against Mtb infection, especially with respect to the generation of effective anti-TB immunotherapeutics and vaccines.
Steric effects on diffusion into bituminous coals

The reactions of maleic anhydride, cis-maleate esters, and acetylenedicarboxylate esters with Pittsburgh No. 8 or Illinois No. 6 coal using o-xylene or o-dichlorobenzene solvent are diffusion controlled. Diffusion is Fickian in all cases. The measured activation energies are between 5.4 and 7.6 kcal/mol. Diffusion rates decrease slowly with increasing alkyl chain length and sharply with branching. Diffusion rates are slightly faster with o-xylene than when o-dichlorobenzene is used.
Endoluminal Stent Graft Repair of Traumatic Thoracic Aortic Pseudoaneurysm

Acute rupture of the thoracic aorta caused by blunt chest trauma is a life threatening injury accounting for up to 18% of deaths in motor vehicle accidents. The mechanism is attributed to the combination of sudden deceleration and the relative immobility of the thoracic aorta at the ligamentum arteriosum, the left subclavian artery and the intercostal arteries. Aortic disruptions occur just distal to the left subclavian artery in 97% of cases. Disruptions of the distal descending aorta are rare and occur less than 1% of the time. Death follows a bimodal distribution with most patients dying at the scene. However, approximately 15±20% of patients reach the hospital alive because of the preserved continuity of adventitia and mediastinal structures surrounding the injured aorta. Of those potentially curable patients, the overall mortality still remains as high as 30%. Covered stents have been selectively used in the treatment of chronic thoracic aneurysms and dissections but have only been anecdotally reported for the treatment of traumatic thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysms. We report a case of a patient with multisystem trauma with an unusual distal thoracic aortic injury treated successfully with endovascular grafting.
X-ray laser experiments using double foil nickel targets

New target geometries for collisional excitation X-ray laser experiments (in nickel) were proposed, analyzed, and experimentally studied on the Glass Development Laser (GDL). Experiments using a short line focus lens with new target geometries showed general agreement with predictions. The new geometries are designed to yield a higher gain and reduced refraction due to: (1) a higher plasma density, (2) a wider lateral density profile, and (3) a concave lateral density profile. These new geometries were: (1) two parallel exploding (thin) foils, irradiated from one side only, (2) two ablating (thick) foils, one of which is irradiated on its inner face, and (3) an exploding foil in front of an ablating foil, irradiated by a single laser beam incident on the thin foil. New experiments with a long line focus are in progress. The intensity ratio of Ne-like and F-like Ni lines is used to deduce the temperature, and these results together with the absolute intensity, yield the density profile. The results show improvement achieved with the new target geometries: the density is higher (leading to a higher gain), and the concave density profile results in collimation rather than divergence of the X-ray laser beam. Theoretical developments included: (1) prediction of high gain on new type transitions in neon like ions involving the excitation of an inner (2s) electron, and (2) development of a ray tracing code for an amplifying medium of varying (e.g., collimating) lateral density profile. Results using this code are shown for concave lateral density profiles.
Antigen(s) on human transitional cell carcinoma detected by a xenogeneic antiserum.

In studies concerning human bladder cancer, antisera were raised in rabbits against human tumours, normal tissue, and cell lines derived from human tumours and were analysed by absorption and complement dependent microcytotoxicity tests. No significant selective cytotoxicity was discernible with any unabsorbed antisera. After absorption of A53, (an antiserum against the transitional cell carcinoma derived cell line T24) with peripheral blood cells and normal adult tissues, it was cytotoxic to two bladder cancer cell lines (T24 and J82) but not to four other cell lines. This activity was removed by absorption with each of two specimens of transitional cell carcinoma but not by normal bladder and by absorption with T24 or J82 but not with four other non-bladder cell lines. This functional specificity for transitional cell carcinomas could be due to a tumour associated antigen, a significant quantitative difference between tumour and normal cells, or an embryonic specificity reexpressed on the tumour. Further experiments are necessary to investigate these alternatives.
Mobile ultrasonic signal processing system using Android smartphone

This study introduces a mobile ultrasonic signal processing (MUSP) system using an Android smartphone for remote ultrasonic testing and imaging applications. The Android smartphone has multiple wireless data communication options such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular data networks. The smartphone receives the ultrasonic data using the Bluetooth connection from a data acquisition and communication unit (DACU). With the help of Android Native Development Kit (NDK) libraries, we developed two signal processing algorithms in C programming language which are processed by the Android smartphone to explore the smartphone computing capability for ultrasonic testing applications. Split Spectrum Processing (SSP) and Chirplet Signal Decomposition (CSD) algorithms are considered for benchmarking and signal analysis. The analyzed data is displayed in real-time on the smartphone screen and streamed to a central location via Wi-Fi or cellular data networks for storage and further data analysis. A Java programmed server application is implemented to communicate with the Android application over the Internet in order to display and save the retrieved signal data. This system brings the ability to analyze ultrasonic signals remotely and to transfer ultrasound data from one end to the other for extensive signal ultrasonic imaging at a central location. The accessibility of the ultrasonic data at the central location allows experts to review ultrasonic information and make decision about the state of the health of structures and critical components under test.
Exploring the limits of dissolved organic matter fluorescence for determining seawater sources and ballast water exchange on the US Pacific coast

To minimize the risk of biological invasions associated with commercial shipping, vessels are required to conduct ballast water exchange (BWE)≤200 nautical miles offshore when arriving in the US from foreign ports, and some states require coastal BWE≤50 miles offshore along domestic routes. Previous research suggests that the intensity of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) can be used to verify whether BWE was implemented. This study examined seasonal and spatial variability of fDOM in Pacific rim ports and the adjacent seas, using the North American coast as a model system to test whether regional fluorescence intensity thresholds consistently distinguish port sites from coastal and oceanic sites at increasing distances from shore. Over 2000 samples from major port systems on the US Pacific coast and along offshore (perpendicular) and alongshore (parallel) transects were analyzed. Overall, humic fDOM fluorescence intensity (C3*=370/494nm) effectively discriminated port versus oceanic sites located further than 100. miles from shore, but discriminated only a subset of coastal versus oceanic sources within the northeastern Pacific. Data from additional global ports are needed to predict the frequency of false positive or false negative ballast source determinations using fDOM for foreign vessel traffic. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
A Note on the Generation of Phase Plane Plots on a Digital Computer

A technique is presented for generating phase plane plots on a digital computer which circumvents the difficulties associated with more traditional methods of numerical solving nonlinear differential equations. In particular, the nonlinear differential equation of operation is formulated as a pair of coupled differential equations with phase error and phase error derivative as dependent variables and arc length as the independent variable, which is uniformly distributed along the phase plane trajectory. The sinusoidal phase-locked loop and polarity-type Costas loop are used as illustrations of the proposed method of solution.
Ground-state energy of spin-(1/2) fermions in the unitary limit

We present lattice results for the ground-state energy of a spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ fermion system in the unitary limit, where the effective range of the interaction is zero and the scattering length is infinite. We compute the ground-state energy for a system of 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 particles, with equal numbers of up and down spins in a periodic cube. We estimate that in the limit of large number of particles, the ground-state energy is 0.25(3) times the ground-state energy of the free Fermi system.
Developing a clinical utility framework to evaluate prediction models in radiogenomics

Combining imaging and genetic information to predict disease presence and behavior is being codified into an emerging discipline called “radiogenomics.” Optimal evaluation methodologies for radiogenomics techniques have not been established. We aim to develop a clinical decision framework based on utility analysis to assess prediction models for breast cancer. Our data comes from a retrospective case-control study, collecting Gail model risk factors, genetic variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms-SNPs), and mammographic features in Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. We first constructed three logistic regression models built on different sets of predictive features: (1) Gail, (2) Gail+SNP, and (3) Gail+SNP+BI-RADS. Then, we generated ROC curves for three models. After we assigned utility values for each category of findings (true negative, false positive, false negative and true positive), we pursued optimal operating points on ROC curves to achieve maximum expected utility (MEU) of breast cancer diagnosis. We used McNemar’s test to compare the predictive performance of the three models. We found that SNPs and BI-RADS features augmented the baseline Gail model in terms of the area under ROC curve (AUC) and MEU. SNPs improved sensitivity of the Gail model (0.276 vs. 0.147) and reduced specificity (0.855 vs. 0.912). When additional mammographic features were added, sensitivity increased to 0.457 and specificity to 0.872. SNPs and mammographic features played a significant role in breast cancer risk estimation (p-value < 0.001). Our decision framework comprising utility analysis and McNemar’s test provides a novel framework to evaluate prediction models in the realm of radiogenomics.
Effects of Ethylene on Cantaloupe Fruits Harvested at Various Ages.

Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the respiratory climacteric associated with ripening in most fleshy fruits (2, 3, 4, 38). In this laboratory, interest has centered on the possible role of nucleotides and of ethylene (20) in the control or stimulation of the climacteric. The present study provides data on the respiration of cantaloupe fruits, as influenced by ethylene gas, after harvest at various stages of development. Ethylene treatment of immature fruits may aid in the identification of critical stages in fruit development, and hence provide a basis for the study of biochemical changes involved in the initiation of fruit ripening. While many aspects of the role of ethylene in ripening have been reviewed (2, 3, ,4, 27, 28), data on respiration and the effects of applied ethylene in immature fruits are limited and have not been adequately summarized. Respiration data are available for immature fruits of apple (10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 25, 33), pear (34, 37), tomato (1, 11, 36), and stone fruits (8, 22, 26, 32, 35). In only a few of these studies were respiration measurements continued more than 1 or 2 days after harvest. Effects of ethylene on respiration have been studied in immature fruits of apple (16) and stone fruits (7, 22).
The millimeter-wave spectrum of the SrOH and SrOD radicals

Abstract The pure rotational spectra of the X 2 Σ + ground states of the SrOH and SrOD radicals have been observed in the laboratory using millimeter/submillimeter direct absorption spectroscopy. The lesser abundant isotopically substituted species, 86 SrOH, has been observed as well. The molecules were produced in a Broida-type oven by the reaction of Sr metal vapor with either H 2 O 2 or D 2 O 2 . The rotational and spin—rotation constants were determined for the radicals from a nonlinear least-squares fit to the data using a 2 Σ Hamiltonian. The millimeter-wave measurements support the picture that strontium hydroxide is linear in its ground electronic and vibrational state.
Suggestive Hypnotherapy for Nocturnal Bruxism: A Pilot Study

Although one can find many case reports of hypnotherapy for bruxism, there is a paucity of scientific research on the subject. This study describes the use of suggestive hypnotherapy and looks at its effectiveness in treating bruxism. Eight subjects who reported bruxism with symptoms such as muscle pain and complaints of bruxing noise from sleep partners were accepted into the study. An objective baseline of the bruxing was established using a portable electromyogram (EMG) detector attached over the masseter muscle during sleep. Hypnotherapy was then employed. Both self-reports and posttreatment EMG recordings were used to evaluate the hypnotherapy. Long-term effects were evaluated by self-reports only. The bruxers showed a significant decrease in EMG activity; they also experienced less facial pain and their partners reported less bruxing noise immediately following treatment and after 4 to 36 months.
Melatonin reduces rat hepatic macromolecular damage due to oxidative stress caused by δ-aminolevulinic acid

Delta-aminolevulinic acid, precursor of heme, accumulates in a number of organs, especially in the liver, of patients with acute intermittent porphyria. The potential protective effect of melatonin against oxidative damage to nuclear DNA and microsomal and mitochondrial membranes in rat liver, caused by delta-aminolevulinic acid, was examined. Changes in 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, an index of DNA damage, and alterations in membrane fluidity (the inverse of membrane rigidity) and lipid peroxidation in microsomal and mitochondrial membranes, as indices of damage to lipid and protein molecules in membranes, were estimated. Measurements were made in rat liver after a 2 week treatment with delta-aminolevulinic acid (40 mg/kg b.w., every other day). To test the potential protective effects of melatonin, the indole was injected (i.p. 10 mg/kg b.w.) 3 times daily for 2 weeks. 8-OHdG levels and lipid peroxidation in microsomal membranes increased significantly whereas microsomal and mitochondrial membrane fluidity decreased as a consequence of delta-aminolevulinic acid treatment. Melatonin completely counteracted the effects of delta-aminolevulinic acid. Melatonin was highly effective in protecting against oxidative damage to DNA as well as to microsomal and mitochondrial membranes in rat liver and it may be useful as a cotreatment in patients with acute intermittent porphyria.
Finding Your New Normal: Outcomes of a Wellness-Oriented Psychoeducational Support Group for Cancer Survivors.

Group interventions have been useful for survivors to overcome the challenges of cancer. This study employed a pre/post, mixed-methods design to explore the influence of an 8-week support group on the holistic wellness of 14 breast cancer survivors. Pairing experiential activities with wellness-centered psychoeducation was viewed positively by participants and corresponded to increased scores on the Five Factor Wellness Inventory. Interview data generated insight for future group work with cancer survivors. Notably, care should be taken to consider the varied individual cancer experiences and it may be worthwhile to structure groups so that members can “pay forward” their new knowledge.
A la vanguardia del libro ilustrado: El Terencio de Lyón (1493) y La Celestina de Burgos (1499)

Las diversas actuaciones de los impresores en el texto de la Comedia de Calixto y Melibea se han plasmado en la adicion de los argumentos y de los grabados que ilustraban a los mismos. El resultado...
The cortical area concerned with coordinated walking in the rat

Cortical lesions in the rat do not produce paralysis, but they may greatly handicap its performance when running on narrow poles. To determine whether or not this handicap is due to the loss of some particular area, sixy-six rats were subjected to various patterns of lesions and then tested to determine their skill on narrow poles. The performance of eacht rat was rated with 0 (no handicap), 1, 2, or 3, according to the degree of diability in walking on the poles.
INVENTING CRIMINOLOGY: THE “SCIENCE OF MAN” IN CESARE BECCARIA'S DEI DELITTI E DELLE PENE (1764)*

This paper challenges existing images of the context and object of Cesare Beccaria's (1764) Dei delitti e delle pene. It offers textual and other evidence that the chief object of Beccaria's famous treatise was the application to crime and penality not of humanism and legal rationality, as convention holds, but of the Scottish-inspired “science of man.” This latter was a deterministic discourse whose key principles—utilitarianism, probabilism, associationism, and sensationalism—implicitly defy, conventional assumptions about the volitional basis of classical criminology. The paper thus questions Dei delitti's proper place in the history of criminology and, in so doing, casts doubt on the very existence of a distinctive “classical criminology.”
Many-body GW calculation of the oxygen vacancy in ZnO

Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations of defect levels in semiconductors based on approximate functionals are subject to considerable uncertainties, in particular due to inaccurate band-gap energies. Testing previous correction methods by many-body $GW$ calculations for the O vacancy in ZnO, we find that: (i) The $GW$ quasiparticle shifts of the ${V}_{\text{O}}$ defect states increase the spitting between occupied and unoccupied states due to self-interaction correction, and do not reflect the conduction- versus valence-band character. (ii) The $GW$ quasiparticle energies of charged defect states require important corrections for supercell finite-size effects. (iii) The $GW$ results are robust with respect to the choice of the underlying DFT or hybrid-DFT functional, and the $(2+/0)$ donor transition lies below midgap, close to our previous prediction employing rigid band-edge shifts.
Rapid determination of the applicability of hydrophilic interaction chromatography utilizing ACD Labs Log D Suite: A bioanalytical application

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is an effective technique for retaining and separating polar compounds. This approach offers several advantages for bioanalytical liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, considering that a majority of active pharmaceutical ingredients are polar amines. HILIC employs high concentrations of relatively polar organic mobile phase components (i.e. acetonitrile), providing enhanced desolvation and electrospray ionization efficiency, as well as allowing direct injection of many protein precipitation, liquid/liquid, and solid phase extracts. A set of 30 probe compounds was evaluated to demonstrate a relationship between a compound's HILIC capacity factor (k'), and pH dependent distribution coefficient (D), using three sets of generic isocratic conditions. Plots of logk' versus logD(pH3.0) produced correlation coefficients of 0.751, 0.696, and 0.689 at acetonitrile mobile phase concentrations of 85%, 90%, and 95% (v/v), respectively. For bioanalytical applications a k'>2 is typically targeted to ensure adequate retention of a given analyte relative to extracted matrix components. Using k'> or =2 as a measure of HILIC applicability, the linear relationships for each of the three acetonitrile levels predicted whether or not HILIC was able to meet this criterion for at least 90% of the compounds tested. Overall, the relationship between k' and logD can serve as a valuable tool for identifying the applicability of HILIC and a starting point for the chromatographic conditions, prior to the initiation of any laboratory activities. Additionally, this relationship can assist with the selection of appropriate chemical analog internal standards.
Experimental Investigation of Emissivity of Aluminum Alloys and Temperature Determination Using Multispectral Radiation Thermometry (MRT) Algorithms

Experiments were performed to measure the emissivity spectra for aluminum (Al) surfaces that are subject to variations in alloy, temperature, heating time, and surface finish. The linear emissivity model (LEM) and log-linear emissivity (LLE) model were tested against thermocouple measurements to explore the accuracy of these models at inferring surface temperature. The data show emissivity decreases with increasing wavelength for λ<3.5 µm, but the trend is reversed at higher wavelengths. Except for AL 1100 (commercially pure Al), the emissivity of all alloys tested decreased 600–700 K and increased 700–800 K. The increased emissivity at 800 K was closely associated with a discoloration of surfaces from light gray into black. Surface roughness produced a 2- to 3-fold increase in emissivity compared with polished surfaces. Overall, the third-order LEM model showed the best overall accuracy for different alloys, temperatures, and surface roughness. Nonetheless, this study points to a need for more accurate models that could handle the diverse operating environment of Al processing plants.
Theory of electrostatic fields in the ionosphere at polar and middle geomagnetic latitudes

An analysis is presented of the properties of the elongated electrostatic fields that provide the coupling mechanism required in the dynamo-motor concept of the E and F regions of the ionosphere. This concept has been proposed in recent years to account for a variety of observed phenomena ranging from large-scale effects associated with tidal flows in the F region to small-scale effects associated with the scintillation of radio signals from radio stars or from space vehicles. The analysis is developed for an electrostatic field of arbitrary horizontal scale in a horizontally stratified partially ionized gas subject to an imposed magnetic field selected to be representative of conditions in polar and middle geomagnetic latitudes. The anisotropic character and continuous variation with height of the conductivity are retained throughout, and numerical solutions are determined for the attenuation of the electric field with height above the dynamo region. The results show that the attenuation is much less than that which would be experienced in a homogeneous medium, and that it is possible, for instance, for electrostatic fields having horizontal scale as small as about 3 or 4 km to extend from 130 km to 400 km with a loss in magnitude of only about 25 per cent. The results also show that relatively small changes in the ionospheric conditions, well within the range of possibilities, can result in very substantial changes in the attenuation of the electric field with height.
Implementation of a simulated display processor for computer graphics education

To provide student experience at the detail level of graphics output, a simulated graphics display processor was written in FORTRAN to run on a CDC 6400 computer equipped with microfilm graphics output. The simulated processor has a command set conforming to the course textbook, a memory of 4096 16-bit words and accepts directions only in absolute octal code. This last feature caused the class to write an octal code generator which accepts graphic primatives as commands.
Long period microtremors, microseisms and earthquake damage: Northridge, CA, earthquake of 17 January 1994

Abstract Contour maps of site amplification at long periods (3–10 s), estimated from recorded ambient noise in San Fernando Valley, are compared with simple indicators of the strong motion amplitudes and damage from the 1994 Northridge, CA, earthquake. The results show that there is no simple correlation between these two sets of observations. Ambient noise measurements have been successful in identifying the model parameters of full-scale structures, and may become successful in identifying parameters of soil and sedimentary layers that are related to strong motion site amplification in the near field, but new methods of measurement and analysis are needed to achieve that.
Near-Surface Vortex Structure in a Tornado and in a Sub-Tornado-Strength Convective-Storm Vortex Observed by a Mobile, W-Band Radar during VORTEX2

AbstractAs part of the Second Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX2) field campaign, a very high-resolution, mobile, W-band Doppler radar collected near-surface (≤200 m AGL) observations in an EF-0 tornado near Tribune, Kansas, on 25 May 2010 and in sub-tornado-strength vortices near Prospect Valley, Colorado, on 26 May 2010. In the Tribune case, the tornado's condensation funnel dissipated and then reformed after a 3-min gap. In the Prospect Valley case, no condensation funnel was observed, but evidence from the highest-resolution radars in the VORTEX2 fleet indicates multiple, sub-tornado-strength vortices near the surface, some with weak-echo holes accompanying Doppler velocity couplets. Using high-resolution Doppler radar data, the authors document the full life cycle of sub-tornado-strength vortex beneath a convective storm that previously produced tornadoes. The kinematic evolution of these vortices, from genesis to decay, is investigated via ground-based velocity ...
Blue-Green, Orange, and White Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Exciplex Electroluminescence of an Oligoquinoline Acceptor and Different Hole-Transport Materials

Exciplex electroluminescence colors ranging from blue-green to yellow-orange to white were observed in blends and bilayers of a blue light-emitting oligoquinoline acceptor, 6,6‘-bis(2-4-diphenylquinoline) (B1PPQ), and different arylamine donors with varying ionization potential (IP) values. The blend composition is shown to be an effective tool to tune the exciplex electroluminescence colors for a given donor/acceptor (D/A) pair. In the D/A blends, exciplex emission was observed under both optical and electrical excitation. However, in the D/A bilayers, exciplex emission was observed only under electrical excitation, highlighting the critical role of the electron−hole capture at the D/A interface in the exciplex formation. Yellow (CIE = 0.41, 0.52) to orange (CIE = 0.57, 0.42) exciplex electroluminescence was achieved from binary blends of B1PPQ and an arylamine donor with an IP of 5.0 eV. Bilayers of B1PPQ with the same donor gave white electroluminescence colors (CIE = 0.35, 0.32) because of the contrib...
Research of accident characteristics of coalmine safety based on cluster analysis

The article applied ward cluster analysis method in features of coalmine safety accident. Based on data to frequency and casualty of coalmine accident in 2004-2010 years, Coalmine disaster accident is divided to six regions: southwest china, south of the Yangtze River, northeast, north china, ningxia-shaanxi-Inner Mongolia and northwest china. Gas accidents and roof accidents are main type of coalmine accident, where is southwest and south of the Yangtze River of China. Results show that use cluster analysis to coalmine disaster region division is feasible and some important guiding significance.