cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Network and media convergence: Issues, challenges and trends

Summary form only given.The world is currently witnessing the arrival of a new domain in telecommunications, that of network and media convergence. This new field was motivated by the desire to provide a unified interface capable of supporting various services across the many types of delivery networks that are available. This has resulted in a rush to develop and implement new standards and protocols that can support a multiplicity of media services such as the "Triple Play" (voice, data and video), and the "Quadruple Play" (voice, data, video and mobility). Among the emerging standards is the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) that is an overlay control subsystem across heterogeneous access networks. IMS will enable fixed and mobile convergence and support service mobility. On the practical side, an intense competition is underway among fixed and mobile network operators where each is fighting to be the leader in providing fixed-mobile convergence in the least amount of time. Concurrently, another competition related to application convergence is gathering momentum among Internet Service Providers and Content Providers to win customer ownership. One of the other important components in the convergence realm is the need for adopting security techniques and policies that ensure confidentiality, privacy, anonymity, availability and accountability. Clearly, the above activities cannot be sustained and enhanced without developing an appropriate regulatory framework that defines the roles, rights and responsibilities of all involved parties. In this talk, many crucial issues underlying network and media convergence are identified. We also examine current activities and track future trends that will help us grasp the bigger picture of this new and exciting realm - a development that is expected to shape the way we live for many years to come.
Juvenile Fibromyalgia: A Primary Pain, or Pain Processing, Disorder

Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM), a chronic disorder of widespread musculoskeletal pain in combination with autonomic, sensory, and cognitive dysfunction, is responsible for considerable morbidity and impaired quality of life in affected patients and their families. Historically, fibromyalgia has been incorrectly characterized as a psychosomatic or psychogenic disorder, but new understanding of the science of pain has demonstrated unambiguously that it is an organic disorder of the pain processing system itself. This new science provides a framework for understanding the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia and for developing rational therapeutic interventions. Advances in JFM include the verification of adult criteria for diagnosis in pediatric patients and the publication of effective therapies based on cognitive and physical neuromuscular intervention. Although primarily nonpharmacologic therapy can include adjunctive medications as well. Finally, the recognition that JFM is a disorder of the central and peripheral nervous systems suggests that neurologists can be important in the care of these patients.
Local Control and Toxicity of a Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Dose Escalation in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: Interim Results from a Prospective Phase I/II Trial

Abstract Introduction Approximately 50% of recurrences after standard-dose chemoradiation for locally advanced esophageal cancer occur within the gross tumor volume (GTV). In this prospective phase I/II clinical trial, we explored the use of a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) dose to the GTV. Methods Forty-four patients with unresectable esophageal cancer received chemoradiation with an SIB of 58.8 to 63 Gy to the GTV and 50.4 Gy to the planning target volume, all in 28 fractions, with 5 weeks of concurrent docetaxel and fluorouracil or capecitabine. The end points were maximum tolerated dose, time to local failure, and clinical response. Results Excluding those with less than 6 months of follow-up, 38 patients were evaluated at the time of analysis. The median age was 65 years (range 37–84). Most patients (71%) were men; 84% had T3 disease, 37% had N1 disease, 26% had N2 disease, 13% had M1 disease, and 50% had adenocarcinoma. The maximum tolerated SIB dose was 63 Gy. None experienced Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 4 or 5 toxicity. At a median follow-up time of 13.3 months (range 1.2–36.2), 11 (29%) had local failure (median time to local failure 2.5 months [range 1.5–23.9]). A comparison with 97 similar patients who received 50.4 Gy without an SIB showed that the SIB reduced the local failure rate for patients with node-positive disease (13% versus 56%, p = 0.04), adenocarcinoma (26% versus 59%, p = 0.02), or stage III–IV disease (29% versus 55%, p = 0.04). Conclusions SIB intensity-modulated radiation therapy to gross primary disease may improve local control for patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer, especially those with adenocarcinoma.
Comparative analysis of the root transcriptomes of cultivated sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) and its wild ancestor (Ipomoea trifida [Kunth] G. Don)

The complex process of formation of storage roots (SRs) from adventitious roots affects sweetpotato yield. Identifying the genes that are uniquely expressed in the SR forming cultivated species, Ipomoea batatas (Ib), and its immediate ancestral species, Ipomoea trifida (It), which does not form SRs, may provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying SR formation in sweetpotato. Illumina paired-end sequencing generated ~208 and ~200 million reads for Ib and It, respectively. Trinity assembly of the reads resulted in 98,317 transcripts for Ib and 275,044 for It, after post-assembly removal of trans-chimeras. From these sequences, we identified 4,865 orthologous genes in both Ib and It, 60 paralogous genes in Ib and 2,286 paralogous genes in It. Among paralogous gene sets, transcripts encoding the transcription factor RKD, which may have a role in nitrogen regulation and starch formation, and rhamnogalacturonate lyase (RGL) family proteins, which produce the precursors of cell wall polysaccharides, were found only in Ib. In addition, transcripts encoding a K+ efflux antiporter (KEA5) and the ERECTA protein kinase, which function in phytohormonal regulation and root proliferation, respectively, were also found only in Ib. qRT-PCR indicated that starch and sucrose metabolism genes, such as those encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and beta-amylase, showed lower expression in It than Ib, whereas lignin genes such as caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (CoMT) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) showed higher expression in It than Ib. A total of 7,067 and 9,650 unique microsatellite markers, 1,037,396 and 495,931 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 103,439 and 69,194 InDels in Ib and It, respectively, were also identified from this study. The detection of genes involved in the biosynthesis of RGL family proteins, the transcription factor RKD, and genes encoding a K+ efflux antiporter (KEA5) and the ERECTA protein kinase only in I. batatas indicate that these genes may have important functions in SR formation in sweetpotato. Potential molecular markers (SNPs, simple sequence repeats and InDels) and sequences identified in this study may represent a valuable resource for sweetpotato gene annotation and may serve as important tools for improving SR formation in sweetpotato through breeding.
Consumer perceptions of electric utilities: Insights from the Center for Analytics Research & Education Project in the United States

Abstract The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan calls for government entities, business organizations and citizen groups to reduce use of “dirty energy” and related carbon pollution. Peak power consumption is associated with dirty energy sources. The Center for Analytics Research & Education (CARE) at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, is developing predictive models for peak energy spikes, so that corrective action can reduce power use. This study supports the CARE initiative and explores consumer perception of power providers. Results allow practitioners to influence peak power use reduction through targeted messaging in marketing and promotions campaigns. Factor analysis revealed the psychological dimensions “Good Citizen,” “Detrimental Citizen,” “Corporate Machine” and “Environmental Partner.” A 9-item Perception of Power Provider Scale was introduced. Correlated items with the greatest effect size were “My power company provides a bill for services that is easy to understand” with “I am pleased with the customer service provided by my power company.” It is suggested that power providers partner with university researchers to develop proprietary social science research. Results can be framed to craft a communication agenda that resonates with target customer groups. Developing a narrative that originates in a psychological understanding of consumer perception can affect change.
Investigation on and analysis of iodine nutritional of targeted population in the high-risk areas of iodine deficiency disorders in Chongqing

Objective To investigate the iodine nutritional status of targeted population in the high-risk areas of iodine deficiency disorders in Chongqing, so as to provide scientific evidence for establishing prevention and remedial measures. Methods Six towns were selected in Chengkou and Wuxi Counties to found suspected dementia patients born after first Jan, 1997. Two hundred children aged 8-10 years were investigated in every town. The thyroid volume, intelligence quotient(IQ) and urinary iodine of the children were examined. Forty women (pregnant and nursing women) were investigated in every town. The iodine content of salt from their home was measured. The thyroid volume was examined by palpation and B-uhrasound. IQ was measured by combined Raven Test in China(CRT-RC2). Urinary iodine was determined using the acid digest arsenic-cerium contacting method, and iodined salt was detected using direct titration method. Results Six suspected dementia patients were found in the local town hospital. Five eases were excluded. There was 1 case born in other place. The rates of goiter by palpation and B-ultrasound were 9.58%(92/960) and 8.89%(65/731), respectively. The median of urinary iodine of children and women was 319.15 μg/L and 248.42 μg/L, respectively. The mean of IQ of the children was 103.32. The coverage rate of iodine salt from residents was 98.82%(336/340). Conclusions The iodine nutrition of children was good and there is no newly occurred cretinism in Chengkou and Wuxi Counties. Goiter rate and median of urinary iodine aged 8-10 years and of women, coverage rate of iodine salt from resident has meet the standard set for basical elimination iodine deficiency disorders. Key words: Iodine; Deficiency disorders; Children; Women; Goiter; endemic; Intelligence quotient
School Nurses’ Perspectives on Bullying

In this chapter, Zinan provides an overview of how school nurses play a key role in maintaining the health of students by providing education on growth and development, advocating for school policies that support wellness, and monitoring student health. Zinan notes that school nurses are often the first contact for students who are involved in bullying as students often present with headaches, stomach aches, asthma attacks, incontinence, and other symptoms that could be signs of bullying involvement. Zinan outlines the position statement of the National Association of School Nurses, which maintains that school nurses are important members of teams to prevent and address bullying in schools. This chapter further describes how students who are victims of bullying benefit from interaction with school nurses, and the resources needed for school nurses to become active members of the bullying-prevention team.
Overexpression of LINE-1 Retrotransposons in Autism Brain

Long interspersed nuclear elements-1 (LINE-1 or L1) are mobile DNA sequences that are capable of duplication and insertion (retrotransposition) within the genome. Recently, retrotransposition of L1 was shown to occur within human brain leading to somatic mosaicism in hippocampus and cerebellum. Because unregulated L1 activity can promote genomic instability and mutagenesis, multiple mechanisms including epigenetic chromatin condensation have evolved to effectively repress L1 expression. Nonetheless, L1 expression has been shown to be increased in patients with Rett syndrome and schizophrenia. Based on this evidence and our reports of oxidative stress and epigenetic dysregulation in autism cerebellum, we sought to determine whether L1 expression was increased in autism brain. The results indicated that L1 expression was significantly elevated in the autism cerebellum but not in BA9, BA22, or BA24. The binding of repressive MeCP2 and histone H3K9me3 to L1 sequences was significantly lower in autism cerebellum suggesting that relaxation of epigenetic repression may have contributed to increased expression. Further, the increase in L1 expression was inversely correlated with glutathione redox status consistent with reports indicating that L1 expression is increased under pro-oxidant conditions. Finally, the expression of transcription factor FOXO3, sensor of oxidative stress, was significantly increased and positively associated with L1 expression and negatively associated with glutathione redox status. While these novel results are an important first step, future understanding of the contribution of elevated L1 expression to neuronal CNVs and genomic instability in autism will depend on emerging cell-specific genomic technologies, a challenge that warrants future investigation.
Perceived Deterrence of Cigarette Use and Smoking Status Among Active Duty Military Personnel

ABSTRACTBackground: Tobacco use in the military adversely affects fitness, readiness and performance levels, and increases health care costs. In 2011, cigarette use in the military was higher than in the civilian population (24.0% vs. 21.2%). We examined the perceptions of active duty service members with respect to supervisory and military installation determent of cigarette smoking. Methods: Using the Department of Defense's 2011 Health-Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS) of active duty military personnel (N = 39,877) data, a multivariate logistic regression estimated the association of personnel's perception of leadership discouraging cigarette use with smoking status, controlling for covariates (n = 23,354). Results: Those who perceived their supervisor as “Somewhat” (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.29, 1.54]) or “Strongly” (AOR 1.22, 95% CI [1.09, 1.37]) discouraging of cigarette use had higher odds of smoking compared to those who perceived supervisors “Not at all” discou...
Experimental Poetry from the Disputed Territory: Rereading Bernadette Mayer’s Midwinter Day and Lyn Hejinian’s My Life

When asked, at the start of a 2011 interview for the Poetry Foundation, whether she was born in Brooklyn or Queens, the poet Bernadette Mayer gives a neither/both answer. “The Disputed Territory,” ...
Effects of seasonal changes in cotton plants on the evolution of resistance to pyramided cotton producing the Bt toxins Cry1Ac and Cry1F in Helicoverpa zea.

Background In pests with inherently low susceptibility to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins, seasonal declines in the concentration of Bt toxins in transgenic crops could accelerate evolution of resistance by increasing the dominance of resistance. Here, we evaluated Helicoverpa zea survival on young and old cotton plants that produced the Bt toxins Cry1Ac and Cry1F or did not produce Bt toxins. Results Using a strain selected for resistance to Cry1Ac in the laboratory, its parent strain that was not selected in the laboratory, and their F1 progeny, we showed that resistance to Cry1Ac + Cry1F cotton was partially dominant on young and old plants. On Cry1Ac + Cry1F cotton, redundant killing was incomplete on young plants but nearly complete on old plants. No significant fitness costs on non-Bt cotton occurred on young plants, but large recessive costs affected survival on old plants. Simulation models incorporating the empirical data showed that the seasonal changes in fitness could delay resistance to Cry1Ac + Cry1F cotton by inducing low equilibrium frequencies of resistance alleles when refuges are sufficiently large. Conclusion Our results suggest that including effects of seasonal changes in fitness of pests on Bt crops and refuge plants can enhance resistance risk assessment and resistance management. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Colloquium: Strong optical forces on atoms in multifrequency light

One of the fundamental processes in physics is the interaction of matter with light. One learns early in quantum mechanics how electrons in a hydrogen atom absorb light with well-defined energy or frequency and make transitions between different quantized energy levels. However, the physical behavior is rather different when an atom interacts with multiple light beams with different frequencies because the optical forces change tremendously. This Colloquium discusses this and its consequences in atom cooling.
SUBCLINICAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM SCORES IN PATIENTS WITH COARCTATION OF THE AORTA

Cardiac computed tomography angiogram (cCTA) is often performed in adults with coarctation of the aorta (CoA). As the population ages, assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) burden is important. CoA patients ≥16 years of age seen at a referral center with cCTA or chest
THD analysis for a high frequency link SCR-based PWM inverter

Two commutation methods for an AC link inverter are compared in this paper. In a high frequency link inverter, a smaller size transformer can be used to provide galvanic isolation and voltage step-up instead of a bulky 60Hz transformer. Furthermore, an AC-link inverter removes one power conversion step that exists in a DC-link inverter. However, in the high frequency AC-link inverter, safe control of the AC-AC output stage, which converts the higher frequency link voltage into the lower frequency output voltage, is challenging. Conventionally, dead time is inserted when the output current changes direction. Previous results presented two different commutation methods which did not require dead time to guarantee safe commutation. In this paper, the total harmonic distortion (THD) values of the output current from the two commutation methods are compared at different switching frequencies, load inductance values and load resistance values. This paper finds that both methods are generally good. However, for some switching frequencies and some output load values, one method produces better quality output current than the other method, and in other switching frequencies and load conditions the other method produces better output current. Therefore, this paper concludes that if one of the commutation methods should be chosen, the switching frequency and the load values should be considered carefully in the design.
ALTERED RIGHT VENTRICULAR CONTRACTILE PATTERN AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Diminished right ventricular (RV) longitudinal contraction and septal dysfunction after cardiac surgery are well-known phenomenon, but they are not well understood. We hypothesized that reduction in RV longitudinal contraction, assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) or
Anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies in treating advanced melanoma -- a clinical update

Since their approval by regulatory agencies worldwide, the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), as monotherapy or in combination with ipilimumab, have become the standard frontline therapy for advanced BRAF-wild-type melanoma and an eminent rival to targeted therapy in the first-line setting for unresectable BRAF-mutated melanoma. Mature survival data from randomized phase 3 trials have emerged, confirming their position in the current treatment schema for advanced melanoma. Recently, the clinical utility of anti-PD-1 agents has extended into other disease settings, such as resected high-risk melanomas, non-cutaneous subtypes, and brain metastases. How to best combat resistance to anti-PD-1 mAbs remains the major focus of clinical investigations. This review aims to provide an update on the recent progress and current challenges relating to the clinical application of anti-PD-1 agents in the treatment of advanced melanoma.
Human Umbilical Cord as Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury in Children

Abstract Pediatric traumatic brain injury accounts for more than half of the emergency department visits in the United States. Traumatic brain injury is typically broken down into primary and secondary injury. Therapy at this time revolves around minimizing secondary injury to protect viable brain parenchyma. Clinical maneuvers are set around controlling intracranial pressure and cerebral blood flow to prevent further damage. Neuroregenerative medicine is based on recovering damaged brain parenchyma and improving functional outcomes after a brain injury. Significant research has gone into studying the use of stem cells to promote neurogenesis and recovery after traumatic brain injuries. Currently, stem cells derived from the umbilical cord prove great promise, as their potential seems to have lower immunologic effects and better prolific properties that are required to restore damaged brain tissue after moderate to severe injuries.
Crystals, Supercooled Liquids, and Glasses in Frozen Aqueous Solutions

Aqueous solutions of HCl separate into nearly pure ice and eutectic “pockets” on cooling. The eutectic composition is near HCl · 6H2O and should crystallize below T ≈ 200°K. However, this material is easy to supercool and even to make into a glass. If SnCl4 is added to the solution, all of the tin appears in the eutectic pockets. We have used electrical conductivity and differential thermal analysis as well as Mossbauer studies to clarify these phenomena. The rms displacement of the tin atoms has been measured as a function of the temperature of all these phases. To the extent to which glasses or supercooled liquids are similar to ordinary solutions, this extends the Mossbauer technique to the study of ions in solution.
A Level-Set Capturing Scheme for Compressible Interfaces

Extending single-component flow descriptions to two-component fluid flows represents only a small modelling generalization. For example, the standard conservation laws that described the dynamics of a single-component fluid flow may now be written for the two-component fluid mixture, augmented by an evolution equations that describe its composition. For two immiscible fluids, one may write an evolution equation for an indicator function whose given level-set tracks the material interface that separates them, thereby allowing to determine which volume in space is occupied by one fluid and which by the other. A major concern in numerical computations of multifluid dynamics is to ensure that fluid components remain in pressure equilibrium with each other across the material interface [1,2,5,6,7,15]. Within the class of shock-capturing schemes, such interfaces have non-zero thickness due to numerical diffusion, and pressure equilibrium need to be maintained across the interface transition.
Tidal Constituents of Modern and Ancient Tidal Rhythmites: Criteria for Recognition and Analyses

The origin of oceanic tides is a basic concept taught in most introductory college-level sedimentology, geology, oceanography, and astronomy courses. Tides are commonly explained in the context of the equilibrium-tidal theory model. The equilibrium model explains tides in the context of changes in two hemisphere-opposite tidal bulges through which the Earth spins. The position and size of these tidal bulges relative to the Earth’s equator is largely controlled by the phases of the Moon and changes in declination and orbital distance of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth. While explaining the driving forces that cause tides, the equilibrium model does not explain most of the tides observed in the Earth’s oceans. A complete explanation of the origin of tides must include a discussion of dynamic tidal theory. In the dynamic tidal model, tides resulting from the motions of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth and the Earth in its orbit around the Sun are modeled as products of the combined effects of a series of phantom satellites. The movement of each of these satellites, relative to the Earth’s equator, creates its own tidal wave that moves around an amphidromic point. Each of these waves is referred to as a tidal “constituent” or “species.” The geometries of the ocean basins determine which of these constituents are amplified. Thus, the tide-raising potential for any locality on Earth can be conceptualized as the summation of the amplitudes of a series of tidal constituents specific to that region. A better understanding of tidal cycles opens up remarkable opportunities for research on tidal deposits with implications for, among other things, a more complete understanding of the tidal dynamics responsible for sediment transport and deposition, tectonic-induced changes in paleogeographies, and changes in Earth–Moon distance through time.
Functional balance assessment in recreational college-aged individuals with a concussion history.

Abstract Objectives Despite evidence for increased musculoskeletal injury after concussion recovery, there is a lack of dynamic balance assessments that could inform management and research into this increased injury risk post-concussion. Our purpose was to identify tandem gait dynamic balance deficits in recreational athletes with a concussion history within the past 18-months compared to matched controls. Design Cross-sectional, laboratory study. Methods Fifteen participants with a concussion history (age: 19.7 ± 0.9 years; 9 females; median time since concussion 126 days, range 28–432 days), and 15 matched controls (19.7 ± 1.6 years; 9 females) with no recent concussion history participated. We measured center-of-pressure (COP) outcomes (velocity, path length, speed, dual-task cost) under 4 tandem gait conditions: (1) tandem gait, (2) tandem gait, eyes closed, (3) tandem gait, eyes open, cognitive distraction, and (4) tandem gait, eyes closed, cognitive distraction. Results The concussion history group demonstrated slower tandem gait velocity compared to the control group (4.0 cm/s difference), thus velocity was used as a covariate when analyzing COP path length and speed. The concussion history group (23.5%) demonstrated greater COP speed dual-task cost than the control group (16.3%) during the eyes closed dual-task condition. No other comparisons were statistically significant. Conclusions There may be subtle dynamic balance differences during tandem gait that are detectable after return-to-activity following concussion, but the clinical significance of these findings is unclear. Longitudinal investigations should identify acute movement deficits in varying visual and cognitive scenarios after concussion in comparison with recovery on traditional concussion assessment tools while also recording musculoskeletal injury outcomes.
Particle Acceleration in Relativistic Plasma Turbulence

Due to its ubiquitous presence, turbulence is often invoked to explain the origin of nonthermal particles in astrophysical sources of high-energy emission. With particle-in-cell simulations, we study decaying turbulence in magnetically dominated (or, equivalently, "relativistic") pair plasmas. We find that the generation of a power-law particle energy spectrum is a generic by-product of relativistic turbulence. The power-law slope is harder for higher magnetizations and stronger turbulence levels. In large systems, the slope attains an asymptotic, system-size-independent value, while the high-energy spectral cutoff increases linearly with system size; both the slope and the cutoff do not depend on the dimensionality of our domain. By following a large sample of particles, we show that particle injection happens at reconnecting current sheets; the injected particles are then further accelerated by stochastic interactions with turbulent fluctuations. Our results have important implications for the origin of nonthermal particles in high-energy astrophysical sources.
CSEY service provider perceptions of critical needs for effective care as youth transition from juvenile detention to the community

Abstract Background The Victims of Trafficking and Prevention Act of 2000 initiated necessary change to treat CSEY as victims rather than criminals. Without sufficient resources, CSEY service providers encounter significant challenges in meeting youth care needs in the community. Objective This study’s purpose was to examine service providers’ perceptions of these challenges. Participants and Setting: Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine California CSEY service providers. Thematic analysis principles guided data analysis and interpretation. Key findings indicated needs for improvement of: 1) CSEY screening, 2) relationship building, 3) community resource access, 4) clarity regarding ambiguous feelings and practices associated with the treatment of CSEY as victims or criminals, 5) support systems for service providers experiencing vicarious trauma and acute/chronic stress. Conclusion Future research is needed to continue to explore the experience of service providers who work with CSEY. Implications for practice include the need for funding to support the development of community-based services for CSEY, particularly for training and professional supports for education, health, social service, and criminal justice professionals.
Discovery and characterization of an acridine radical photoreductant

Photoinduced electron transfer (PET) is a phenomenon whereby the absorption of light by a chemical species provides an energetic driving force for an electron-transfer reaction1-4. This mechanism is relevant in many areas of chemistry, including the study of natural and artificial photosynthesis, photovoltaics and photosensitive materials. In recent years, research in the area of photoredox catalysis has enabled the use of PET for the catalytic generation of both neutral and charged organic free-radical species. These technologies have enabled previously inaccessible chemical transformations and have been widely used in both academic and industrial settings. Such reactions are often catalysed by visible-light-absorbing organic molecules or transition-metal complexes of ruthenium, iridium, chromium or copper5,6. Although various closed-shell organic molecules have been shown to behave as competent electron-transfer catalysts in photoredox reactions, there are only limited reports of PET reactions involving neutral organic radicals as excited-state donors or acceptors. This is unsurprising because the lifetimes of doublet excited states of neutral organic radicals are typically several orders of magnitude shorter than the singlet lifetimes of known transition-metal photoredox catalysts7-11. Here we document the discovery, characterization and reactivity of a neutral acridine radical with a maximum excited-state oxidation potential of -3.36 volts versus a saturated calomel electrode, which is similarly reducing to elemental lithium, making this radical one of the most potent chemical reductants reported12. Spectroscopic, computational and chemical studies indicate that the formation of a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer species enables the population of higher-energy doublet excited states, leading to the observed potent photoreducing behaviour. We demonstrate that this catalytically generated PET catalyst facilitates several chemical reactions that typically require alkali metal reductants and can be used in other organic transformations that require dissolving metal reductants.
Disparity in outcomes of melanoma adjuvant immunotherapy by demographic profile.

Background Randomized comparisons have demonstrated survival benefit of adjuvant immunotherapy in node-positive melanoma patients but have limited power to determine if this benefit persists across various demographic factors. Materials & methods We assessed the impact of demographic factors on the survival benefit of adjuvant immunotherapy in a database of 38,189 node-positive melanoma patients using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. Results All assessed demographic factors other than race significantly impacted survival of node-positive melanoma patients in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis, only the age group interacted with immunotherapy. Conclusion Analysis of this large database of unselected node-positive melanoma patients demonstrated a positive survival benefit of immunotherapy across all demographic factors assessed and the impact was greater for patients 65 years of age and older.
Characterization of the role of oxide spacers in multilayer-enhanced SERS probes

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has several advantages as a transduction method for many types of optical sensors, due to its sensitivity and potential for multiplexed detection. Over the years, SERS probes have been developed to be capable of extreme sensitivities, with single molecule SERS having been achieved in randomly located hot-spots of colloidal aggregates. However, these structures suffer from significant irreproducibility, due to the randomness of the aggregation. Alternatively, strategies such as ordered 2D arrays or enhancement based on single probes (e.g. immunno-nanosensors, nanostars) have high reproducibilities but limited enhancement factors. In our laboratory a widely applicable enhancing geometry based on metal thin films interleaved with dielectric spacers that takes advantage of interaction into the volume of the probe (perpendicularly to the surface) to enhance the signal independently from the underlying structure has been developed. Preliminary evidence into the mechanism of this enhancement suggests that the dielectric spacer material and thickness play a key role in the magnitude of the resulting enhancement. In this paper we investigate the thickness dependence of the multilayer enhancement using substrates fabricated using ultrathin oxide deposited by atomic layer deposition as spacers. The SERS enhancement measured for substrates based on semiconductor and dielectric materials have been characterized in order to understand the origin of this dependence. In addition a model to describe the mechanism by which the spacer properties influence the multilayer enhancement will also be discussed.
Recent Advances in Homogeneous Catalysts for the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Heteroarenes

The asymmetric hydrogenation of heteroarenes has recently emerged as an effective strategy for the direct access to enantioenriched, saturated heterocycles. Although several homogeneous catalyst sy...
Exploring the Relationship Between Perceived Visual Access to Nature and Nurse Burnout.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the relationship between perceived visual access to nature views in nurse work and break environments and scores for subscales of Maslach Burnout Inventory ...
Countries with delayed COVID-19 introduction - characteristics, drivers, gaps, and opportunities.

Three months after the first reported cases, COVID-19 had spread to nearly 90% of World Health Organization (WHO) member states and only 24 countries had not reported cases as of 30 March 2020. This analysis aimed to 1) assess characteristics, capability to detect and monitor COVID-19, and disease control measures in these 24 countries, 2) understand potential factors for the reported delayed COVID-19 introduction, and 3) identify gaps and opportunities for outbreak preparedness, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We collected and analyzed publicly available information on country characteristics, COVID-19 testing, influenza surveillance, border measures, and preparedness activities in these countries. We also assessed the association between the temporal spread of COVID-19 in all countries with reported cases with globalization indicator and geographic location. Temporal spreading of COVID-19 was strongly associated with countries’ globalization indicator and geographic location. Most of the 24 countries with delayed COVID-19 introduction were LMICs; 88% were small island or landlocked developing countries. As of 30 March 2020, only 38% of these countries reported in-country COVID-19 testing capability, and 71% reported conducting influenza surveillance during the past year. All had implemented two or more border measures, (e.g., travel restrictions and border closures) and multiple preparedness activities (e.g., national preparedness plans and school closing). Limited testing capacity suggests that most of the 24 delayed countries may have lacked the capability to detect and identify cases early through sentinel and case-based surveillance. Low global connectedness, geographic isolation, and border measures were common among these countries and may have contributed to the delayed introduction of COVID-19 into these countries. This paper contributes to identifying opportunities for pandemic preparedness, such as increasing disease detection, surveillance, and international collaborations. As the global situation continues to evolve, it is essential for countries to improve and prioritize their capacities to rapidly prevent, detect, and respond, not only for COVID-19, but also for future outbreaks.
Participation in pulmonary hypertension support group improves patient-reported health quality outcomes: a patient and caregiver survey:

Support group participation has been shown to be effective in many chronic medical conditions. The evidence for integrating support group into pulmonary hypertension care and its effect on quality ...
Impact of Thermal Stress on Attachment and Stability of High Temperature Strain Sensors

Static and dynamic strain sensing is required in high-temperature (HT), harsh-environments (HE) for industrial, aerospace, and energy sector applications to ensure equipment and process safety, reduce the cost of operation and maintenance, and increase process efficiency. Challenges that arise in HT HE sensing applications include device mounting, packaging, integrity, and stability in HT HE conditions. In previously reported work, static and dynamic strain surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR) sensors were fabricated on langasite (LGS) and mounted on Inconel 625 strain beams for wireless testing up to 400°C. In this work, it has been identified that after subjecting the mounted SAWR strain sensor to thermal cycling between 100°C and 425°C, the measured sensitivity to dynamic strain decreased by 73% due to cracking at the adhesive/LGS interface, further deteriorating after additional thermal cycles. Strain modeling of the mounted LGS sensor chip up to 400°C revealed the existence of concentrated strain at the borders of the LGS chip. Microcracks caused by dicing make the chip boarders the most susceptible location for cracks to initiate when the sensor is subjected to thermal stress. In an attempt to mitigate the high strain at the LGS chip borders due to heating, adhesive shaping is proposed in this work. Simulations indicate a strain reduction of 50% at the border is achieved using both circular and triangular adhesive shapes, while also reducing the maximum strain over the entire adhesive/LGS interface by around 30%. The technique is thus promising for improving the integrity, reliability, and stability of static and dynamic strain sensors, particularly while operating under HT HE with several hundred-degree Celsius temperature excursions.
3D Cardiac Deformation from Ultrasound Images

The quantitative estimation of regional cardiac deformation from 3D image sequences has important clinical implications for the assessment of viability in the heart wall. Such estimates have so far been obtained almost exclusively from Magnetic Resonance (MR) images, specifically MR tagging. In this paper we describe a methodology for estimating cardiac deformations from 3D ultrasound images. The images are segmented interactively and then initial correspondence is established using a shape-tracking approach. A dense motion field is then estimated using an anisotropic linear elastic model, which accounts for the fiber directions in the left-ventricle. The dense motion field is in turn used to calculate the deformation of the heart wall in terms of strain in cardiac specific directions. The strains obtained using this approach in open-chest dogs before and after coronary occlusion related to changes in blood flow, show good agreement with previously published results in the literature. This proposed method provides quantitative regional 3D estimates of heart deformation from ultrasound images.
The structure of the DNA of bacteriophage φX174: III. Ultracentrifugal evidence for a ring structure

By velocity sedimentation, in appropriate solvents, the presence of two discrete components can be demonstrated in preparations of the DNA of bacteriophage φX174. The major, faster-moving S_1 and the slower S_2 are present under conditions which exclude the possibility of hydrogen-bond formation. It can be shown, either by treatment with pancreatic deoxyribonuclease or by thermal inactivation, that S_2 is the first degradation product of S_1, formed by scission of S_1, without significant decrease in molecular weight. A subsequent chain scission in S_2, which occurs with equal likelihood, results in random fragmentation. These results are interpreted to mean that the S_1 component is a covalently linked ring structure and the S_2 component is the corresponding open-chain degradation product. Under certain conditions the S_2 component can be selectively degraded by E. coli phosphodiesterase. The digestion is not complete and there appears to be a single discontinuity, resistant to phosphodiesterase, present in the φX-DNA ring.
DataSift: An Expressive and Accurate Crowd-Powered Search Toolkit

Traditional information retrieval systems have limited functionality. For instance, they are not able to adequately support queries containing non-textual fragments such as images or videos, queries that are very long or ambiguous, or semantically-rich queries over non-textual corpora. In this paper, we present DataSift, an expressive and accurate crowd-powered search toolkit that can connect to any corpus. We provide a number of alternative configurations for DataSift using crowdsourced and automated components, and demonstrate gains of 2–3x on precision over traditional retrieval schemes using experiments on real corpora. We also present our results on determining suitable values for parameters in those configurations, along with a number of interesting insights learned along the way.
Diagnosis and treatment of inferior oblique palsy

We present the work-up and treatment for 25 patients with inferior oblique palsy, including 2 with bilateral inferior oblique palsy and 23 with unilateral inferior oblique palsy. Nineteen patients were adults over the age of 21 years, and six were children under the age of 10 years. Sixteen adults and two children underwent CT scanning of the head. All scans were normal. Eight adults also underwent MRI evaluation of the head. These also were all normal. All adults had a negative Tensilon test for myasthenia gravis. The majority presented with a head tilt to the side of the paretic muscle. None of these patients complained of tilting images, but incyclotorsion was measurable in all cases that were tested. The most important conclusion from this study is that inferior oblique palsy is a benign entity, with none of these patients having a brain tumor or myasthenia gravis.
On the stability and convergence of Feintuch's algorithm for adaptive IIR filtering

Gradient-descent adaptive algorithms are among the most widely used in current practice, with many different variants that generally fit into two major groups: one group includes algorithms that are especially suited for FIR (or finite-impulse-response) modeling, while the other group includes algorithms that are tailored for IIR (or infinite-impulse-response) modeling. In the first group, the regression (or data) vectors do not depend on the unknown parameters, which leads to convenient linear models that often facilitate the analysis of the algorithms. In the second category, on the other hand, the regression vectors are dependent on the unknown parameters, thus giving rise to nonlinear functionals and to a richer structure that requires a more thorough analysis. This paper focuses on a widely used adaptive IIR algorithm, the so-called Feintuch's (1976) algorithm, and provides a study of its robustness, stability, and convergence properties in a deterministic framework.
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING OF DOGS WITH PRIMARY LARYNGEAL OR TRACHEAL AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION

Seventeen dogs with clinical signs attributable to nonneoplastic obstruction of the larynx, trachea, or large bronchi underwent computed tomography (CT) imaging. In 16 of the 17 dogs, CT was performed without general anesthesia using a positioning device. Fifteen of these 16 dogs were imaged without sedation or general anesthesia. Three-dimensional (3D) internal rendering was performed on each image set based on lesion localization determined by routine image planes. Visual laryngeal examination, endoscopy, video fluoroscopy, and necropsy were used for achieving the cause of the upper airway obstruction. The CT and 3D internal rendering accurately indicated the presence and cause of upper airway obstruction in all dogs. CT findings indicative of laryngeal paralysis included failure to abduct the arytenoid cartilages, narrowed rima glottis, and air-filled laryngeal ventricles. Laryngeal collapse findings depended on the grade of collapse and included everted laryngeal saccules, collapse of the cuneiform processes and corniculate processes, and narrowed rima glottis. Trachea abnormalities included hypoplasia, stenosis, or collapse syndrome. The CT findings in tracheal hypoplasia consisted of a severely narrowed lumen throughout the entire length. Tracheal stenosis was represented by a circumferential decrease in tracheal lumen size limited to one region. Tracheal collapse syndrome was diagnosed by severe asymmetric narrowing. Lobar bronchi collapse appeared in CT images as a narrowed asymmetric lumen diameter. CT imaging of unanesthetized dogs with upper airway obstruction compares favorably with traditional definitive diagnostic methods.
Wavelength routers in WDM local area networks

This paper presents a novel scheme for scheduling packet traffic on a wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) local optical network which employs a wavelength router. An N-port latin router allows N/sup 2//spl times/N/sup 2/ connectivity via only N physical wavelengths. We propose TDM schedules for interconnecting MN nodes with a wavelength router. We show that for non-zero transceiver tuning time, throughput on the order of N can be achieved.
A method for determining the gantry angle for megavoltage cone beam imaging.

Accurate knowledge of gantry angle is essential in megavoltage cone beam imaging (MVCBI) with an electronic portal imager. We present a method for determining the gantry angle by detectingmultileaf collimator(MLC) leaf positions in projection images. During image acquisition the gantry moves continuously and the MLC operates in dynamic arc mode. Our algorithm detects the leaf positions in the images and compares them with a stationary reference leaf. Comparison of the algorithm against angles determined from the locations of fiducial markers shows the accuracy ( 0.26 ° rms error) to be sufficient for MVCBI.