cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
B-cells in systemic sclerosis: Emerging evidence from genetics to phenotypes

Purpose of review This review aims to summarize current evidence for a role of B-cells in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) from genetics to phenotypes, with an emphasis on recent insights. Recent findings Multiple genomic analyses have associated several B-cell signalling genes with SSc. Moreover, interesting B-cell subset alterations and activation/memory marker changes have also been documented in SSc. Co-cultures of blood B-cells with dermal fibroblasts isolated from SSc patients demonstrated the induction of collagen, interleukin (IL)-6, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, IL-1β and chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in the fibroblasts, following potential B-cell cues delivered to the fibroblasts. Plasma cell gene signatures were elevated in SSc patients' blood, and highly correlated with collagen gene expression. Finally, anti-CD20 B-cell depletion therapy not only improved skin disease but also preserved interstitial lung disease in early diffuse cutaneous disease. Summary Thus, there is resounding evidence that B-cells play a pivotal role in pathogenesis of SSc. However, the molecular pathways through which B-cells may direct fibroblast function, SSc disease development and progression remain unclear, and warrant further study.
Preliminary Study of Properties of High Energy and Low Signature CL-20 Based Solid Propellants

Effects of CL-20 content on energy performance, safety properties, combustion properties of solid propellants were investigated. The results show that theoretical specific impulse, density, explosive heat of solid propellants increase, and mechanical sensitivities(shock sensitivity and friction sensitivity) of propellants slurry and block also increase with the increase of CL-20 content. In addition, the burning-rate of propellants increases, and static pressure index of the propellant formulation containing CL-20 is lower than that of the propellant formulation without CL-20. When the CL-20 content is identical, the pressure index of the propellant with NG/TEGDN as the plasticizer is commensurate with that of the propellant with NG/ BTTN as the plasticizer.
Aeorithm and Time Complexity Analysis of Generalized Hanoi Tower Problem

Some changes are made on the typical examples of Hanoi tower problems in recursive problems, the size and number of discs and the number of assistant posts are introduced. The algorithm and time complexity for solving the generalized Hanoi tower problems are analyzed, which helps the research of the general recursive problems.
Gene-environment and gene-gene interaction studies in the molecular genetic analysis of asthma and atopy.

Asthma is a complex trait for which genetic predisposition is fundamental in disease aetiology, but poorly understood. Unravelling the genetic aetiology is complicated by the tremendous influence of the environment over disease expression. For this reason, asthma is multifactorial, in that disease expression is influenced by interactions between multiple major and minor genes, and modulated by interacting non-genetic factors (e.g. environment). 'Parent of origin' effects may be both genetic and environmental in aetiology, and have been observed in a number of population studies on asthma. The primary focus of this review is to evaluate the current approaches used in identifying the interrelationship between (1) certain environmental factors (e.g. allergen exposure, maternal inheritance) and genetic susceptibility to asthma and its associated phenotypes; and (2) candidate genes in chromosomal regions that have been linked to asthma and atopy in ongoing, molecular genetics studies.
Value-Added Models for Teacher Preparation Programs: Validity and Reliability Threats, and a Manageable Alternative

AbstractHigh-stakes standardized student assessments are increasingly used in value-added evaluation models to connect teacher performance to P–12 student learning. These assessments are also being used to evaluate teacher preparation programs, despite validity and reliability threats. A more rational model linking student performance to candidates who actually teach these students is presented. Preliminary findings with three candidate cohorts indicate that the majority of their students met learning objectives and showed substantial pre-to-post learning gains.
The Inefficient Evolution of Merger Agreements

Transactional law is one of the most economically significant areas of legal practice and accounts for a large percentage of the profits and staffing at most elite law firms. But in spite of its economic importance, there has been almost no empirical work on the legal drafting process and the evolution of transactional documents over time. We have sought to fill this gap by analyzing the evolution of public company merger agreements in a dataset that encompasses 12,000 merger agreements over a 20-year period. Using computer textual analysis, we are able to identify the precedent, an earlier merger agreement, which serves as the template for the drafting of each deal. This approach allows us to construct comprehensive “family trees” of merger agreements, which we use to show how agreements are created and how they change over time. We use this innovative approach to explore whether transactional drafting is driven by a rational process that minimizes the cost of deal documentation and risk to clients or by an ad hoc process that increases billable hours and risk. We show that a high level of “editorial churning,” ad hoc edits that appear to be cosmetic rather than substantive, takes place in legal drafting. Over half of the text of merger agreements is routinely rewritten during the drafting process even though the substantive provisions of merger agreements have similar features. Significant variation exists among merger agreements even involving the same firm as there is no evidence of firm-specific templates or industry-specific templates in most cases. Lawyers appear to choose earlier merger agreements as deal templates based on familiarity with past deals rather than based on the economic needs of clients or cost mitigation. Our empirical findings provide strong evidence of significant (structural) inefficiency in the drafting process which raises costs and risk to clients. We argue that this inefficiency calls for an industry-wide solution of creating standardized templates for merger agreements that could be used across firms. The use of standardized documentation would help to minimize the time consuming (and expensive) drafting process of lawyer- and firm-specific edits that do little, if anything, to protect clients or affect the substance of the transaction. Furthermore, deal term standardization would have positive externalities as judicial opinions crystalize the meaning of standardized text. In addition, our analysis suggests that, somewhat counterintuitively, the failure to standardize text actually may stifle true innovation in the transactional context. We argue that by establishing an industry-wide set of “base documents,” lawyers could create the technological platform on which to create truly innovative solutions for clients at lower cost. While lawyers may not have the self-interest to embrace a standardized set of documents on their own, we argue that repeat-player private equity firms or trade associations for the private equity industry may have the economic interest and leverage to push for greater standardization.
Optic replacement in a novel modular intraocular lens system

Purpose The purpose of the study is to evaluate the stability and ease of replacement of a new modular intraocular lens (IOL) system consisting of a hydrophobic acrylic base unit and a hydrophobic acrylic optic in the rabbit model. Methods Five New Zealand white rabbits were utilized. Bilateral phacoemulsification was performed; one eye received the test IOL (ClarVista Harmoni Modular IOL System) and the other, a commercially available hydrophobic acrylic control IOL (Alcon AcrySof SA60AT). Slit-lamp examinations were performed weekly during postoperative weeks 1 to 6. IOL replacement procedures were performed at weeks 2 and 6 using standard instruments. The rabbits were sacrificed at the end of the study (week 6), with all globes analyzed grossly using the Miyake-Apple technique and sectioned and processed for histopathologic examination. Results The base component and the optic of the Harmoni IOL system remained stable and centred throughout the clinical follow up. Disengagement of the optic component from the base and replacement of the optic were safely and easily accomplished at 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Explantation of the control lens required posterior synechiolysis and capsular bag manipulation due to the position of the loops at the periphery of the bag, thus causing zonular stress. Conclusions Replacement of the Harmoni optic was found to be safe and efficient compared with the control IOL, as manipulation of the capsular bag to remove haptic components is not necessary with the modular design. The base component of the modular system remained stable and centred throughout the study.
Partial Regularity Results for Quasilinear Systems

We next study more general quasilinear systems in divergence form and deal with partial \(C^{1,\alpha }\)-regularity results for their weak solutions. More precisely, we first give a basic higher integrability statement. Then we employ the method of \(\mathcal{A}\)-harmonic approximation, which was introduced in the previous chapter, in order to prove in the first place the partial C 1-regularity of weak solutions outside of a singular set which is of \(\mathcal{L}^{n}\)-measure zero and in the second place the optimal regularity improvement from C 1 to \(C^{1,\alpha }\) for some α > 0 (determined by the regularity of the governing vector field). These results come along with a characterization of the exceptional set on which singularities of a weak solution may arise. However, it does not directly allow for a non-trivial bound on its Hausdorff dimensions, but this requires further work. In different settings, from simple to quite general ones, we explain (fractional) higher differentiability estimates for the gradient of weak solutions. These provide, in turn, the desired bounds for the Hausdorff dimension of the singular set.
Epilogue: The Legacy of Brown

In a penetrating assessment of black participation in Reconstruction politics, W. E. B. Du Bois judged those significant individual and collective efforts to substantiate black freedom “a splendid failure.” He explained that whites thought Reconstruction would fail because of innate black incompetence. The exact opposite happened, however. Black politicians exercised their rights and shouldered their responsibilities competently; in fact, they acquitted themselves as well as, and often better than, their white cohorts. Rather than confirming black incapacity, black Reconstruction confirmed human equality. This exemplary illustration of black achievement in spite of powerful white opposition, Du Bois maintained, was “splendid.”
Cross-Phenotype Polygenic Risk Score Analysis of Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms in U.S. Army Soldiers with Deployment-Acquired Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to the increased rates of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder in military personnel and veterans, and it is also associated with the risk for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. A cross-phenotype high-resolution polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis of persistent post-concussive symptoms (PCS) was conducted in 845 U.S. Army soldiers who sustained TBI during their deployment. We used a prospective longitudinal survey of three brigade combat teams to assess deployment-acquired TBI and persistent physical, cognitive, and emotional PCS. PRS was derived from summary statistics of large genome-wide association studies of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder (MDD); and for years of schooling, college completion, childhood intelligence, infant head circumference (IHC), and adult intracranial volume. Although our study had more than 95% of statistical power to detect moderate-to-large...
Agricultural input credit in Sub-Saharan Africa: Telling myth from facts.

Recent evidence shows that many Sub-Saharan African farmers use modern inputs, but there is limited information on how these inputs are financed. We use recent nationally representative data from four countries to explore input financing and the role of credit therein. A number of our results contradict “conventional wisdom” found in the literature. Our results consistently show that traditional credit use, formal or informal, is extremely low (across credit type, country, crop and farm size categories). Instead, farmers primarily finance modern input purchases with cash from nonfarm activities and crop sales. Tied output-labor arrangements (which have received little empirical treatment in the literature) appear to be the only form of credit relatively widely used for farming.
Capable Guardians in the Digital Environment: The Role of Digital Literacy in Reducing Phishing Victimization

ABSTRACTIn this study, we use Routine Activities Theory to explore the role of digital literacy, a measure of guardianship, in the receipt of and response to phishing. Data for the study come from a nationally representative survey conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons. The analysis results in two conclusions. First, respondents with higher levels of digital literacy report receiving phishing e-mails more often, but report responding to them less. Second, the social position of a respondent matters, but largely for the receipt of phishing. These findings indicate that digital literacy significantly effects the receipt of and response to phishing.
Regions of low endothelial shear stress colocalize with positive vascular remodeling and atherosclerotic plaque disruption: an in vivo magnetic resonance imaging study.

Background— Local hemodynamic factors, particularly low endothelial shear stress (ESS), play a role in the focal formation of atherosclerosis. We used in vivo MRI to investigate the role of the magnitude of ESS on vascular remodeling, plaque burden, and disruption using a rabbit model of controlled atherothrombosis. Methods and Results— Atherosclerosis was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by cholesterol diet and endothelial denudation. MRI was performed before (pretrigger) and after (posttrigger) inducing plaque disruption with Russell viper venom and histamine. Of the 134 vascular segments studied, 28 contained thrombus (disrupted) and 106 did not (nondisrupted). Disrupted plaques were histologically characterized by a thin, inflamed fibrous cap, a dense lipid core, and mural thrombus. Pretriggered MRI revealed that disrupted plaques clustered at regions with low mean ESS (11.55±5.3 versus 20.9±9.74 dynes/cm2; P <0.001) and low peak ESS (21.5±11.2 versus 49.2±21.5 dynes/cm2; P <0.001) compared with nondisrupted plaques. The peak ESS negatively correlated with the plaque area ( r =−0.56, P <0.001) and remodeling ratio ( r =−0.4, P =0.008). There was also a negative correlation between the mean ESS and the remodeling ratio ( r =−0.55, P <0.001). Both the peak ESS and the mean ESS did not correlate with the % stenosis; there was a weak but statistically significant correlation with the % cross-sectional narrowing ( r =0.3, P =0.002 and r =0.2, P =0.04, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that both mean (AUC=0.78; 95% CI, 0.69–0.87) and peak ESS (AUC=0.85; 95% CI, 0.78–0.93) identified disrupted plaques. Conclusions— We demonstrated that low ESS is associated with plaque burden, positive vascular remodeling, and plaque disruption in a rabbit model. Assessment of ESS by noninvasive MRI might be useful for assessing atherosclerotic risk.
Open Splenectomy for Disease

Open splenectomy is performed for a variety of hematologic and other diseases, when laparoscopic splenectomy is not feasible or has proved technically too difficult. This chapter lists the indications, essential steps, common variations in technique, and complications of the procedure. A detailed template operative dictation note is included.
The Relationships of Intergroup Ideologies to Ethnic Prejudice: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis summarizes the results of research on the relationships of majority group members’ endorsement of assimilation, colorblindness, multiculturalism, and the relative relationships o...
Communal Norms: Steps toward a Collective Pragmatics

It is time to begin pulling together a variety of loose ends. Each of the last three chapters has left one dangling. In Chapter IV, I argued that the correctness of a representing consists in its being the manifestation of a practice belonging to a family of consilient practices within a community. I concluded there that, in consequence, in order to have a concept of correctness, a representer will need, at least, to be able to think of himself as a self in contrast to other selves. He will need, in other words, a non-vacuous ‘I’. And there, for the moment, I let the matter rest.
Clostridium difficile colonization among patients with clinically significant diarrhea and no identifiable cause of diarrhea.

Objective To determine the prevalence of Clostridium difficile colonization among patients who meet the 2017 IDSA/SHEA C. difficile infection (CDI) Clinical Guideline Update criteria for the preferred patient population for C. difficile testing. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Tertiary-care hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.PatientsPatients whose diarrheal stool samples were submitted to the hospital's clinical microbiology laboratory for C. difficile testing (toxin EIA) from August 2014 to September 2016.InterventionsElectronic and manual chart review were used to determine whether patients tested for C. difficile toxin had clinically significant diarrhea and/or any alternate cause for diarrhea. Toxigenic C. difficile culture was performed on all stool specimens from patients with clinically significant diarrhea and no known alternate cause for their diarrhea. Results A total of 8,931 patients with stool specimens submitted were evaluated: 570 stool specimens were EIA positive (+) and 8,361 stool specimens were EIA negative (-). Among the EIA+stool specimens, 107 (19% of total) were deemed eligible for culture. Among the EIA- stool specimens, 515 (6%) were eligible for culture. One EIA+stool specimen (1%) was toxigenic culture negative. Among the EIA- stool specimens that underwent culture, toxigenic C. difficile was isolated from 63 (12%). Conclusions Most patients tested for C. difficile do not have clinically significant diarrhea and/or potential alternate causes for diarrhea. The prevalence of toxigenic C. difficile colonization among EIA- patients who met the IDSA/SHEA CDI guideline criteria for preferred patient population for C. difficile testing was 12%.
DNA-based surrogate indicator for sanitation verification and predict inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR)

Abstract Washing and sanitation of fresh produce and food contact surfaces are vital steps in reducing the risk of foodborne illness. However, there is a lack of process control and verification tools to directly assess reduction of bacteria during a sanitation process. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate DNA as a biochemical surrogate indicator to assess sanitation process. Structural and chemical changes in DNA molecules immobilized on a membrane surface (DNA@Anodisc) and suspended in an aqueous solution (In-Liquid-DNA) were assessed using vibrational spectroscopy and chemometric analysis by a comparison between isolated DNA and the DNA in live Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells. The results of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) illustrate DNA oxidation, fragmentation and conformational changes from double-stranded (ds) to single-stranded (ss) DNA. The PCA model was able to discriminate different groups of samples which were exposed to different concentrations of chlorine (non-lethal, sub-lethal, and lethal; 0, 2, 5, 10, and 15 ppm). PLSR model results showed that the degree of DNA oxidation could be quantified and used successfully to predict the chlorine concentrations and bacterial count. The regression coefficient for predicted vs measured chlorine concentrations and bacterial count were satisfying for all treatments (R2 > 0.96). The results also showed that the extent of oxidation and fragmentation of DNA was relatively higher for the In-Liquid-DNA, compared to the DNA@Anodisc, and E. coli. The results also suggest that the impact of the chlorine on the DNA@Anodisc and the DNA in the E. coli cells were similar compared to the In-liquid DNA. Overall, these studies illustrate the potential of DNA based biochemical surrogate indicator for sanitation process validation of food contact surfaces and fresh produce and demonstrate effectiveness of a chemometric spectral approach for these measurements.
Wholesale Most-Favored-Nation Clauses and Third Degree Price Discrimination with Negative Consumption Externalities: A Duality Result

Most-favored-nation (MFN) clauses in wholesale contracts have been the subject of recent controversy and renewed antitrust scrutiny. We demonstrate that an environment where MFN clauses may be widely adopted shares a duality property with an environment where a monopolist sells a good exhibiting negative consumption externalities directly to consumers. Many arguments for or against wholesale MFN clauses can be re-framed in this consumer framework where the welfare effects closely follow those developed in the third degree price discrimination literature by Schmalensee (1981) and Varian (1985). Specifically, the risk that MFN clauses deter entry in the producer problem can be inter- preted equivalently in the consumer problem as the risk that a ban on price discrimination results in low types no longer being served, and also reduces welfare. We argue that ex- amining wholesale MFNs from this perspective offers a greatly simplified approach: the welfare effects of wholesale MFNs are in general ambiguous for the same reason the effect of uniform pricing on welfare is ambiguous in Schmalensee (1981) and Varian (1985).
Strengthening sleep–autonomic interaction via acoustic enhancement of slow oscillations

Slow-wave sleep (SWS) is important for overall health since it affects many physiological processes including cardio-metabolic function. Sleep and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity are closely coupled at anatomical and physiological levels. Sleep-related changes in autonomic function are likely the main pathway through which SWS affects many systems within the body. There are characteristic changes in ANS activity across sleep stages. Notably, in non-rapid eye-movement sleep, the progression into SWS is characterized by increased parasympathetic activity, an important measure of cardiovascular health. Experimental manipulations that enhance slow-wave activity (SWA, 0.5-4 Hz) can improve sleep-mediated memory and immune function. However, effects of SWA enhancement on autonomic regulation have not been investigated. Here, we employed an adaptive algorithm to deliver 50 ms sounds phase-locked to slow-waves, with regular pauses in stimulation (~5 s ON/~5 s OFF), in healthy young adults. We sought to determine whether acoustic enhancement of SWA altered parasympathetic activity during SWS assessed with heart rate variability (HRV), and evening-to-morning changes in HRV, plasma cortisol, and blood pressure. Stimulation, compared with a sham condition, increased SWA during ON versus OFF intervals. This ON/OFF SWA enhancement was associated with a reduction in evening-to-morning change of cortisol levels and indices of sympathetic activity. Furthermore, the enhancement of SWA in ON intervals during sleep cycles 2-3 was accompanied by an increase in parasympathetic activity (high-frequency, HRV). Together these findings suggest that acoustic enhancement of SWA has a positive effect on autonomic function in sleep. Approaches to strengthen brain-heart interaction during sleep could have important implications for cardiovascular health.
Assessing the Impact of Health Insurance and Other Socioeconomic Factors on Inequality in Health Care Expenditures among Farm Households

This research uses data from the 2005–2011 Agricultural Resource Management Survey and a two-part-model regression procedure to examine the impact of health insurance and other relevant socioeconomic factors on the distribution of health care expenditures among U.S. farm households. Findings show the importance of privately acquired health insurance coverage in explaining inequality in health care expenditures. The results also reveal, among other things, a statistical positive association between health care expenditures and farm operators who fall into the baby boomer age category. A similar statistical association is found for higher income levels but not for inequality of income.
Volume Reverberation at Mid Frequencies in the Norwegian Sea

During July 1991, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) conducted volume reverberation measurements at seven locations in the Norwegian Sea between 63°N and 68°N as part of a multi-laboratory experiment directed by the SACLANT Undersea Research Centre. NRL obtained volume scattering strength versus depth profiles at frequencies between about 1 kHz and 10 kHz. During the day, scatterers were generally found between depths of 150 m and 500 m. Even though nights were short and the northern horizon was always visible except when obscured by cloud, scatterers were nearer the surface at night, extending from about 100 m to 400 m. Scattering strengths were high, with strongest scattering at about 2 kHz during the day and between 1 kHz and 2 kHz at night. Some geographic variation was observed, with scattering at the northernmost station being the weakest. Comparisons of the measurements to scattering strengths predicted from bioacoustic modeling of fisheries data have been made and indicate that the principal scatterers were most likely blue whiting.
What are the challenges in commercial non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) drug discovery and how should we move forward?

Introduction: Despite the great clinical need, the development of drugs for treating non-tuberculous mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD), partly from the scientific difficulty, but also because the ...
Differential effects of lithium isotopes in a ketamine-induced hyperactivity model of mania.

Abstract Sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine produce an increase in rodent ambulation that is attenuated by co-administration of naturally-occurring lithium (Li N), the drug most commonly employed in the treatment of bipolar illness. As a consequence, ketamine-induced hyperactivity has been proposed as an animal model of manic behavior. The current study employed a modified version of this model to compare the potency of Li N to that of each of its two stable isotopes – lithium-6 (Li-6) and lithium-7 (Li-7). Since Li-7 constitutes 92.4% of the parent compound it was hypothesized to produce comparable behavioral effects to that of Li N. The current study was devised to determine whether Li-6 might be more, less, or equally effective at tempering hyperactivity relative to Li-7 or to Li N in an animal model of manic behavior. Male rats were maintained on a restricted but high-incentive diet containing a daily dose of 2.0 mEq/kg of lithium (Li N), Li-6 or Li-7 for 30 days. A control group consumed a diet infused with sodium chloride (NaCl) in place of lithium to control for the salty taste of the food. On day 30, baseline testing revealed no differences in the locomotor behavior among the four treatment groups. Animals then continued their Li/NaCl diets for an additional 11 days during which every subject received a single IP injection of either ketamine (25 mg/kg) or 0.9% physiological saline. On the final four days of this regimen, locomotor activity was assessed during 60 min sessions each beginning immediately after ketamine injection. While all three lithium groups produced comparable decreases in ketamine-induced hyperactivity on the first trial, by the fourth trial Li-6 animals exhibited significantly greater and more prolonged reductions in hyperactivity compared to either Li-7 and Li. These results suggest that Li-6 may be more effective at treating mania than its parent compound.
Grain detachment and transport clogging during mineral dissolution in carbonate rocks with permeable grain boundaries

Abstract This paper explores the effect of permeable grain boundaries on carbonate rock dissolution in order to improve our understanding of grain detachment and migration during reactive flow. To do so we investigated the effects of grain size and enhanced reactivity along grain boundaries on global dissolution kinetics. Variations of permeability and porosity were calculated, and exponential relationships were observed in fractured rocks. Our model employed a reactive transport framework based on the Darcy-Brinkman equation to simulate calcite dissolution in carbonate rocks composed of microporous grains and, included fluid transport along grain boundaries. The model includes fluid flow, solute transport by advection–diffusion, heterogeneous reaction between fluid and minerals and grain detachment with subsequent grain transport in macropores. The migration of solid particles due to dissolution was based on cluster analysis and local movement, and the results show that grain detachment can lead to significant decreases in permeability due to the clogging of transport pathways. Microporous media with smaller grain sizes (fine grains in this study) showed a higher average reaction rate than those with coarser grains. In addition, as the overall rates of geochemical processes are commonly affected by the presence of texture heterogeneities such as fractures, a single fracture (macropore) introduced into a microporous matrix composed of permeable grains and grain boundaries was modelled as a large channel connecting the inlet and outlet of the simulation domain. It was found that macropore clogging by grain detachment temporary decreased permeability, lowering the long-term global reaction rates. We also observed that increases in flow rate can reduce detachment and fracture clogging by reducing local dissolution along grain boundaries.
Concerns about the economics of mammography and how radiologists can respond.

Abstract Rapidly increasing U.S. healthcare spending has been a hot topic over the past few decades. Imaging studies, including screening mammography, are possible targets for cost savings. Radiologists need to be more proactive and take charge by actively participating in the cost reduction conversation, improving the quality of care, providing patients with accurate cost estimates and educating patients along with clinicians on the value we have provided and can provide in the future.
Evaluation of a patient communication skills training program for medical physicists.

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of a training program designed to teach medical physicists how to communicate with patients effectively in the clinical environment. Methods and Materials The training program was offered 3 times between 2016 and 2019. Participants were asked to rank their level of confidence in 5 categories relevant to patient communication on a 5-point Likert scale at 3 separate time points over the course of the training program. Participants were also asked to provide written responses to 5 common questions from patients at 2 separate time points, and these responses were numerically scored using the Constant Comparative Method. Competency in patient communication was assessed during simulated patient consults using a 9-element clinical competency assessment form. Changes in participants’ stated level of confidence over the course of the training program and differences between faculty and residents were analyzed using the Student t test, and participants’ scored responses to common questions were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results Fifteen medical physicists participated in the training program: 6 resident physicists (4 first year and 2 second year) and 9 faculty physicists. Mean participant-stated level of confidence increased significantly across all categories (P Conclusions The patient communication skills training program increases medical physicists’ level of confidence across 5 patient communication categories and improves their responses to common questions from patients. In addition, the program can discern differences in communication competency between physicists.
Life Years Lost to Police Encounters in the United States

How much life in the United States is lost to encounters with the police? I build on a demographic life table model by Edwards, Lee, and Esposito to estimate, for race- and gender-specific populations, how many years of life are lost in two categories of police encounter: (1) encounters involving officer use of force, and (2) all deaths involving police encounters. Average life years lost by individuals who are killed ranges from 39 years (white men) to 52 years (Native women). The loss of years per 100,000 people over their collective lifetimes is largest for Black men, with 5,696 years of life lost to all encounters with police, of which 3,772 years are lost to police use of force. This implies a loss of roughly 16,000 years of life for recent cohorts of Black men. These results provide context for current debates surrounding the cost and necessity of protests.
Charge Separation and Charge Transfer in the Low-Lying Excited States of Pentacene

Pentacene thin films are common constituents of organic photovoltaic materials and a prototypical example of a material that undergoes singlet exciton fission, but significant questions remain rega...
The Stellar Velocity Dispersion of the Lens Galaxy in MG 2016+112 at z = 1.004*

We present a direct measurement of the stellar velocity dispersion of the early-type lens galaxy D in the system MG 2016+112 (z = 1.004), determined from a spectrum obtained with the Echelle Spectrograph and Imager on the W. M. Keck II Telescope, as part of the Lenses Structure and Dynamics Survey. We find a velocity dispersion of σap = 304 ± 27 km s-1 inside an effective circular aperture with a radius of 065, corresponding to a central velocity dispersion of σ = 328 ± 32 km s-1. From a Hubble Space Telescope F160W-band image, we measure the effective radius and effective surface brightness in order to determine the offset of the lens galaxy with respect to the local fundamental plane (FP). The offset corresponds to an evolution of the rest-frame effective mass-to-light ratio of Δ log(M/LB) = -0.62 ± 0.08 from z = 0 to z = 1.004. By interpreting colors and offset of the FP with two independent stellar population synthesis models, we obtain a single-burst equivalent age of 2.8 ± 0.8 Gyr (i.e., zf > 1.9) and a supersolar metallicity of log(Z/Z☉) = 0.25 ± 0.25. The lens galaxy is therefore a massive elliptical dominated by an old and metal-rich stellar population at z > 1. The excellent agreement of the stellar velocity dispersion with that predicted from recent lens models confirms that the angular separation of the multiple images of the background QSO is predominantly due to the lens galaxy and not to a massive dark cluster, in agreement with recent weak-lensing and X-ray observations. However, the significant overdensity of galaxies in the field might indicate that this system is a protocluster, in formation around galaxy D, responsible for the ~10% external shear inferred from the strong-lens models.
Interrelationship between Bitcoin, Ransomware, and Terrorist Activities: Criminal Opportunity Assessment via Cyber-Routine Activities Theoretical Framework

In recent years, a new form of cyber-extortion called ransomware is baffling the world with the speculation of connection to terrorist activities. Since cybercriminals usually demand their ransom u...
The Study of Thermodynamic Surface and Contact Characteristics by a New Method of Simultaneous Thermooptical Analysis (TECHNICAL NOTES).

A device is described for studying thermodynamic and surface characteristics of metals as well as for differential thermal analysis of materials. A promise its shown is application for a multiple examination of high-temperature capillarity in a number of technological processes involving the formation or contribution of a liquid phase.
Heterogeneity-Aware Scheduling on SoCs for Autonomous Vehicles

Fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) must meet stringent real-time performance and safety-criticality constraints of multiple applications simultaneously in highly dynamic environmental conditions. To enable such a system, carefully selected accelerators and general-purpose cores on Systems-on-Chips (SoCs) are required. However, schedulers that are agnostic to this heterogeneity lead to inefficient utilization of hardware resources and increase the time to complete the AV's mission. As a solution, our letter proposes a heterogeneity-aware, multi-level scheduler called HetSched. HetSched leverages run-time information about the underlying heterogeneous SoC, along with the applications’ real-time constraints to improve an AV's mission time. Our evaluation demonstrates a reduction in mission time of 2.0-4.8×, when compared against state-of-the-art (SOTA) schedulers. Furthermore, when used as part of an SoC design space exploration loop, in comparison to the SOTA schedulers, HetSched reduces the number of accelerators required by an SoC to safely complete the AV's mission by 1.9× on average.
Factors Influencing 1st and 2nd Generation Drug-Eluting Stent Performance: Understanding the Basic Pharmaceutical Drug-in-Polymer Formulation Factors Contributing to Stent Thrombosis Do We Really Need to Eliminate the Polymer?

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have a major role in treating cardiovascular disease. The evolution of bare metal stents into 1st generation durable-polymer DES (DP-DES) reduced the rate of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and the need for repeat-revascularization. However, clinical outcomes showed similar rates of late stent thrombosis (ST 1 year) necessitating the advent of 2nd generation more biocompatible polymer DES and biodegradable-polymer DES (BP-DES) that reduced ST rates with shorter dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT). Despite the improvements in drugs and polymer biocompatibility for both durable and biodegradable polymers, stent thrombosis remains an issue. Doubts remain about the safety and efficacy of the more biocompatible 2nd generation durable polymers in respect to vessel inflammatory and thrombogenic response as compared to biodegradable polymers despite clinical trial and meta-analyses evidence indicating that 2nd generation DP-DES are non-inferior to BP-DES for stent thrombosis. A long-term presence of the polymer can cause inflammation and thrombogenesis. However, the cause of stent thrombosis is multi-factorial from a drug-in-polymer formulation perspective; e.g., drug release kinetics, drug physiochemical and pharmacological properties, degradation kinetics; polymer biocompatibility and hemocompatibility and coating properties. It appears that the focus should be on controlling burst release and developing more biocompatible, durable polymers, especially considering the cost of PCI utilizing biodegradable, polymer-free and bioresorbable scaffolds. This may give an insight into certain DP-DES effectiveness as compared to BP-DES for the existing clinical data and improve future stent development.
Nonmatching- (oddity) and delayed nonmatching-to-sample performance in aging, alcoholic, and alcoholic Korsakoff individuals

Measures of visual processing time, selective attention, and memory were obtained in 59 normal and alcoholic research participants (including 13 with alcoholic Korsakoff’s syndrome) ranging in age from 35 to 71 years. Performance was measured within the context of nonmatching-to-sample and delayed nonmatching-to-sample tasks. The tasks required the participants to identify the “odd” stimulus in a three-stimulus array (i.e., to choose one of two laterally located visual stimuli that did not appear as a central sample display). The sample stimulus varied in complexity, containing one or two stimulus dimensions (color and/or line tilt), and exposure duration of the sample stimulus varied from 20 to 500 msec. The interval between sample offset and response opportunity also was varied, from 0 to 30 sec. The results indicated that for all groups, simple (unidimensional) sample stimuli were easier than compounds (two dimensions), as were stimuli that were available for long durations and with short interstimulus delays. Duration of the sample’s exposure and the delay between sample and response choice were the variables that best differentiated among the groups. With short sample durations and at long delay intervals, the Korsakoff patients were the least accurate. Although older participants—regardless of their drinking history—also were impaired, the age-group differences were exaggerated in the alcoholics. The results emphasize the importance of processing deficits in amnesia of alcohol-related etiology, and in the cognitive decline that may accompany aging and alcoholism.
International Organizations: The World Trade Organization

Key facts Website: www.wto.int Members: 153 members, including some that are not states. Main bodies: Ministerial Conference: annual meeting of trade ministers. General Council: plenary body of trade officials, meets in various guises to consider trade in goods, trade in services, trade in agriculture, intellectual property, and so on. Dispute Settlement Body: General Council session to consider trade disputes. many Working Groups, Working Parties, and Committees. Area of competence: sets limits on what policies members can choose that have an impact on international trade. strives to create a stable regulatory environment for international trade. aims for “rule-governed” trade, rather than free trade. settles disputes between members regarding violations of these rules, and authorizes retaliatory tariffs under the Dispute Settlement Understanding. Principal obligations of members: “most-favored nation”: generally treat goods from all trade partners the same (Art. I), qualified by many other rules. “schedule of concessions”: maintain a public and fixed set of tariffs for imports (Art. II). “national treatment”: treat imports no worse than domestically produced goods (Art. III). The World Trade Organization enforces a set of rules limiting the choices of governments with respect to international trade. These rules define what is legal and illegal when it come to a wide range of state policies that might affect international trade, including import tariffs, industrial subsidies, and all manner of taxes and regulations. For WTO member countries, any government policy that might have an impact on private firms that trade across its borders could conceivably come under the scrutiny of the organization.
Heparan sulfate in skeletal development, growth, and pathology: the case of hereditary multiple exostoses.

Heparan sulfate (HS) is an essential component of cell surface and matrix-associated proteoglycans (HSPGs). Due to their sulfation patterns, the HS chains interact with numerous signaling proteins and regulate their distribution and activity on target cells. Many of these proteins, including bone morphogenetic protein family members, are expressed in the growth plate of developing skeletal elements, and several skeletal phenotypes are caused by mutations in HS-synthesizing and modifying enzymes. The disease we discuss here is Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (HME), a disorder caused by mutations in HS synthesizing enzymes EXT1 and EXT2, leading to HS deficiency. The exostoses are benign cartilaginous-bony outgrowths, form next to growth plates, can cause growth retardation and deformities, chronic pain and impaired motion, and progress to malignancy in 2-5% of patients. We describe recent advancements on HME pathogenesis and exostosis formation deriving from studies that have determined distribution, activities and roles of signaling proteins in wild type and HS-deficient cells and tissues. Aberrant distribution of signaling factors combined with aberrant responsiveness of target cells to those same factors appear to be a major culprit in exostosis formation. Insights from these studies suggest plausible and cogent ideas about how HME could be treated in the future.
Optimizing combustion efficiency of a circulating fluidized boiler: A data mining approach

A data mining approach was applied to analyze relationships among 54 parameters of a circulating fluidized-bed boiler. Knowledge was extracted from the data by machine learning algorithms. The extracted knowledge was used to determine ranges of process parameters (control signatures) that led to the increased efficiency of the combustion process. The research has shown that the efficiency can be predicted to the same degree of accuracy with and without the data describing the fuel composition or boiler demand levels. This discovery might have profound impact on the research directions in optimization of the energy production. Adjusting parameters of the control system has led to improved efficiency of the combustion process. The proposed data mining approach is applicable to different types of burners and fuel types. It is well suited to perform tradeoff analysis between various performable measures, e.g., efficiency and emissions.
Tidal marsh susceptibility to sea-level rise: importance of local-scale models

Abstract Increasing concern over sea-level rise impacts to coastal tidal marsh ecosystems has led to modeling efforts to anticipate outcomes for resource management decision making. Few studies on the Pacific coast of North America have modeled sea-level rise marsh susceptibility at a scale relevant to local wildlife populations and plant communities. Here, we use a novel approach in developing an empirical sea-level rise ecological response model that can be applied to key management questions. Calculated elevation change over 13 y for a 324-ha portion of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, California, USA, was used to represent local accretion and subsidence processes. Next, we coupled detailed plant community and elevation surveys with measured rates of inundation frequency to model marsh state changes to 2100. By grouping plant communities into low, mid, and high marsh habitats, we were able to assess wildlife species vulnerability and to better understand outcomes for habitat resiliency. Starting...
Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine Recommendations: Identifying Costs

The assignment of costs in a cost-effectiveness analysis is a complex and disputed issue. The Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine was convened to discuss standards that could be applied across a range of areas of cost-effectiveness. Additionally, the Panel had a mandate to resolve some controversial issues about the practice of cost-effectiveness that created difficulty in making comparisons across studies. The Panel proposed these guidelines: (1) Do at least some of the analysis from a social perspective; (2) Assign values to resources that reflect their opportunity costs; (3) Avoid zero counting of resources; (4) Avoid double counting of resources; (5) Make analyses only as exacting as necessary in a study. Difficulties in data collection were discussed. Among other questions considered by the panel were how to assign a value to the patient's time and which productivity costs to include in a cost-effectiveness analysis. With tools and suggestions from the Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine, the cost analyst can report costs accurately and provide accurate comparisons of cost performance across states, trial modalities, or diseases.