cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does low nutritional quality act as a plant defence? An experimental test of the slow-growth, high-mortality hypothesis

. 1. The slow-growth, high-mortality hypothesis was experimentally tested in this study by investigating the effects of plant quality and natural enemies on leaf-miner growth, performance, and survivorship. Two leaf miners (Acrocercops albinatella and Brachys tesselatus) occurring on the turkey oak Quercus laevis were studied using a factorial design that manipulated predation/parasitism pressure and plant nutritional quality. 2. Forty trees were randomly divided into four treatments: (1) control plants (nutrients and natural enemies unaltered); (2) nutrients added, natural enemies unaltered; (3) nutrients unaltered, natural enemies reduced; and (4) nutrients added and natural enemies reduced. Water content, leaf toughness, tannin concentration, and foliar nitrogen were quantified monthly for each plant, and mine growth and survivorship were assessed by tracing mines on a 2–3-day interval and by following the fates of 50 mines per species per treatment combination. 3. Fertilised plants exhibited significantly higher amounts of nitrogen, but no significant differences among treatments were observed for water content, leaf toughness, and tannin concentration. These results only partially support the slow-growth, high-mortality hypothesis, as mines were significantly smaller and developed faster on fertilised plants, but neither fertilisation nor natural enemy exclusion significantly affected mine survivorship or mortality caused by natural enemies.
A model-based approach for investigation and mitigation of disease spillover risks to wildlife: Dogs, foxes and canine distemper in central India

Abstract Multi-host pathogens can pose a serious conservation threat when free-ranging domestic animal populations occur alongside susceptible populations of wild species. An example is canine distemper virus (CDV), which can occur at high prevalence in domestic dog (Canis familiaris) populations from which it may be transmitted (spillover) into wild carnivore populations. Effective management of such disease threats is hindered by our limited understanding of the the dynamics of interspecific CDV transmission in natural settings. We used a modeling approach to better understand CDV spillover threats to wild Indian foxes (Vulpes bengalensis) occurring in a protected grassland habitat in central India. An agent-based stochastic simulation model was built, and parameterized with data from ecological and epidemiological studies. Based on the sensitivity analyses of the model, the CDV incidence rate in dogs was most influenced by the proportion of roamer dogs in the dog population. The CDV incidence rate in dogs was also sensitive to the CDV introduction frequency in the dog population. The proportion of roamer dogs in the dog population also influenced the number of CDV spillover events. The basic reproductive number (R0) for CDV in the model fox population was 0.85, indicating that CDV could not be independently sustained in the fox population. We used the model to explore potential management strategies to mitigate the risk of CDV spillover. Vaccination of local dog populations was an ineffective disease control strategy, while fox vaccination was highly effective. Interventions potentially resulting in lower contact rates between dogs and foxes, like reduction in village dog density and restricting dog movements in fox habitat, implemented in a sustained and integrated manner would be most effective in mitigating disease threats to foxes. Such modeling approaches can be used to better understand disease threats for other species of management concern, and to contrast potential management interventions.
SCALE ANALYSIS OF CONVECTIVE MELTING WITH INTERNAL HEAT GENERATION

Using a scale analysis approach, we model phase change (melting) for pure materials which generate internal heat for small Stefan numbers (approximately one). The analysis considers conduction in the solid phase and natural convection, driven by internal heat generation, in the liquid regime. The model is applied for a constant surface temperature boundary condition where the melting temperature is greater than the surface temperature in a cylindrical geometry. We show the time scales in which conduction and convection heat transfer dominate.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Oceanic electric fields: perception by american eels?

American eels, long-distance migrating fish, consistently exhibited conditioned cardiac deceleration responses to electric fields as small as 0.167 x 10 -2 microampere per square centimeter in water of resistivity 4000 ohm centimeters (6.7 microvolts per centimeter) and 400 ohm centimeters (0.67 microvolt per centimeter). Fewer responses were shown at this current density (0.167 x 10 -2 microampere per square centimeter) in more saline water (40 ohm centimeters, 0.067 microvolt per centimeter) and at a lower current density (0.167 x 10 -3 microampere per square centimeter) in fresh water. Thus, eels have sufficient sensitivity to utilize geoelectric information for orientation.
The influence of thalamic stimulus parameters on primary and augmenting cortical intracellular potentials

Summary o 1. Cortical surface and intracellular recording in neurons at depths of 0.5–1.5 mm was carried out in the precruciate cortex to study the ECoG and PSP patterns evoked by conditioning and test VL thalamic stimuli of graded intensity. 2. During the surface augmenting response evoked by test stimuli at C-T intervals of 60–180 msec test PSPs were interacted with the declining IPSP evoked by the conditioning stimulus in most neurons. Quantitative changes were noted in the early PSP pattern of response, when compared to the PSPs evoked during the primary response. The changes consisted of reduction of amplitude of the initial EPSP complex, correlated with depression of the surface positive wave of the primary response pattern, marked augmentation of the secondary EPSP complex, correlated with the appearance of the surface positive wave of the augmenting response, and blocking of the IPSP which is generated at the same time as the secondary EPSP during the primary response. 3. A late, tertiary, EPSP was found during the augmenting response, correlated with the surface negative wave of the response. 4. Increasing the intensity of the conditioning stimulus increased the amplitude of the augmenting response and the magnitudes of the PSP changes associated with it. Increasing the intensity of the test stimulus reduced the amplitude of the augmenting response and returned the PSP pattern toward a primary response configuration. 5. The results suggest the activation of two specific thalamo-cortical organizations or projections in different proportions during the early phases of evoked primary and augmenting responses.
Optimum pulse-time determination

A common problem in radar, navigation systems or pulse-time modulation systems is that of determination of the delay or time of arrival of a pulse or other distinctive modulation form. while considerable effort has been directed toward the optimization in various senses of the signal-to-noise ratios for such signals, the problem of the most accurate determination of time delay of signals in noise bas, with a few noteworthy exceptions, been taken for granted. It is of interest to examine this problem for its own sake, not only as indicative of optimum circuit practice, but, more important, in order to make clear the fundamental accuracy limitations and the manner in which these limitations depend upon signal and noise parameters. The consideration of this paper is limited to the case where there is no doubt as to the existence nor approximate position of a pulse but where the accuracy of determination of pulse position is limited by noise. This case is therefore more representative of the problems of high accuracy systems such as Loran or shoran than of radar.
The use of the ALOPEX process in extracting normal and abnormal visual evoked potentials

The ALOPEX method, a multiparameter stochastic optimization technique, is used for the optimal extraction of parameters in fitting randomly chosen action potentials to normal and abnormal visual evoked potential (VEP) waveforms. It is assumed that conformational changes in the abnormal VEPs can be attributed to an asynchrony in the arrival of action potentials at an integration point in the visual cortex. The results indicate that the assumption is valid in all five of the five records processed, of which two were normal and three abnormal. Further experimentation is needed to see if the method can be used as a diagnostic tool. >
Cytomegalovirus disease in African-American kidney transplant patients.

Background Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is a serious infection after kidney transplantation. The risk factors and the impact of CMV disease in African-American (AA) kidney transplant patients have not been well characterized. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis on 448 AA patients transplanted between 1996 and 2005. A 3-month universal chemoprophylaxis with ganciclovir or valganciclovir was administered to CMV donor-positive/recipient-negative (D+/R−) patients and to those treated with anti-thymocyte globulin for rejection, but not routinely to those with other D/R serostatus. Results A total of 31 AA patients (7%) developed clinical CMV disease. Compared with other D/R serostatus groups, the D+/R− group had the highest 3-year cumulative incidence of CMV disease (16.9% vs. 6.3% in D+/R+, 4.9% in D−/R+, and 2.4% in D−/R−). The D+/R− group also had the worst 3-year death-censored allograft survival (75% vs. 92% in D+/R+, 94% in D−/R+, and 96% in D−/R−, log-rank P = 0.01). Multivariate analysis found that D+/R− serostatus (odds ratio [OR] 5.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6–48.2, P = 0.003) and donor age > 60 years (OR 9.1, 95% CI 1.3–65, P = 0.03) were independent risk factors for CMV disease. Conclusion The D+/R− group has the highest incidence of CMV disease and the worst 3-year renal allograft survival despite 3-month universal prophylaxis. Prolonged chemoprophylaxis may be needed to prevent the late development of CMV disease and to improve allograft survival in the high-risk group of AA kidney transplant recipients.
Latin square based channel access scheduling in large WLAN systems

WLAN systems based on the IEEE 802.11 could contain hundreds even up to thousands of wireless access points nowadays. However, IEEE 802.11 MAC protocols, including DCF, PCF and EDCA mechanisms, are unable to meet the challenges to provide collision freedom, especially in distributed large scale WLAN systems. We propose a channel access scheduling protocol based on Latin squares, called DCLASS (Distributed Coordination based on Latin SquareS), that provides collision-free CSMA based channel access coordination functions in large scale wireless networks with stringent performance demands. The performance of DCLASS is evaluated using an IEEE standards compliant simulation toolkit, QualNet 4.5, in distributed WLAN systems. The simulation results show the superior performance of DCLASS in contrast to IEEE 802.11 DCF under various scenarios.
Using mobile communications to assert privacy from video surveillance

We propose a novel use of mobile communications to permit individuals to assert a preference for privacy from video surveillance. Our system, called Cloak, grants an individual the right to prohibit others from distributing video containing their image. We present our system architecture and operation, and demonstrate how the system enhances privacy while requiring no change to existing surveillance technology. We use analysis and simulation to show that an individual's video privacy can be protected even in the presence of the many sources of error (e.g., unsynchronized clocks, unreliable communications, location error) we anticipate in a deployed system, and argue that there are no insurmountable technical barriers to Cloak's large-scale deployment. Given the threat to privacy posed by the rapid and widespread deployment of camera-phones, we maintain that today's surveillance systems must be urgently augmented with privacy enhancing technology.
The titanium industry: We always bounce back

I always try to be upbeat in writing my annual commentary for the titanium issue of JOM. This year it is difficult, not only because of what happened on 9-11 (isn’t that an emergency number?) and the general downturn in the economy, but also because of the resultant dramatic reduction in commercial aircraft production. When commercial aircraft production dips, the titanium industry follows. Is there a silver lining in the present dark cloud? My choice would be the continued in-roads of titanium into automobiles, which can only be helped by a continuing emphasis on reducing the cost of titanium either via lower-cost recovery prices or reduced-cost fabrication (i.e., powder metallurgy, casting, and single melting). It’s going to be a difficult year for the titanium industry—but we’ve always bounced back. The papers in the titanium section of this issue of JOM reflect both a practical viewpoint and a science base. J.R. Wood discusses the direct production of Ti-6Al-4V alloy plate from a single electron beam cold hearth melted slab ingot. The goal of this work is to produce low cost, aerospace quality Ti-6Al-4V plate under the U.S. Air Force Metals Affordability Initiative Consortium. A slab has the advantage of being directly rollable rather than requiring blooming to intermediate slab, or upset and cross-forging prior to the rolling operation. A concern is whether the required levels of chemistry, microstructure, and consequent mechanical properties can be achieved starting from the slab. A number of interesting new processes promise reduced-cost titanium. The paper by K. Ono and R.O. Suzuki presents a new twist to a concept for titanium sponge reduction by calciothermic reduction of the oxide in molten calcium chloride. The authors propose that the theoretical electrical energy required to cause the reduction reaction and the electrolytic reaction for recovery of the reducing agent is 50% of that used in the conventional magnesium Kroll process. Worthy of consideration. New understanding of the phase transformations, which occur during thermohydrogen processing (use of hydrogen as a temporary alloying element), is reported by J.I. Qazi and co-workers. This understanding should help in better utilizing this process for enhancing fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V and in improving final mechanical properties. The final two papers concentrate on the titanium aluminides. Lu and co-authors discuss the application of mechanical alloying to these intermetallics, and Reddy presents work on the influence of niobium on the oxidation behavior of Ti3Al.
HINDSITE: A user-interactive framework for fragment assembly

The assembly of fragments into vessels is a significant task in the analysis of archaeological finds. The current method of reconstruction which relies on experts is time-consuming and laborious, and leads only to a fraction of reconstructions possible. Automated tools have been able to assemble at most two or three dozen fragments, while in practice, archaeologists deal with hundreds and thousands of fragments, in the context of missing fragments and fragments mixed in from different vessels. This limitation is mainly due to the exponential increase in the number of possible assembly configurations as the number of fragments increases, and as the path to successful assembly is impeded by missing fragments. This combinatorial explosion can partially be addressed by improving fragment pair matching, but not all archaeological cues can be captured in an automated system. We propose a interactive, expert-guided framework for fragment assembly, HINDSITE, built on a backbone of a web-based database system, whose architecture is independent of the particular fragment pair matching scheme used. The relational database stores fragments, fragment pairs, and partial assemblies as well as algorithms for pairwise fragment matching and for constructing assemblies, incorporates user interaction at each stage, and allows for automated experiments to optimize assembly parameters. We show that HINDSITE can reconstruct a few dozens of vessel fragments even in the presence of extra and missing pieces
/*icomment: bugs or bad comments?*/

Commenting source code has long been a common practice in software development. Compared to source code, comments are more direct, descriptive and easy-to-understand. Comments and sourcecode provide relatively redundant and independent information regarding a program's semantic behavior. As software evolves, they can easily grow out-of-sync, indicating two problems: (1) bugs -the source code does not follow the assumptions and requirements specified by correct program comments; (2) bad comments - comments that are inconsistent with correct code, which can confuse and mislead programmers to introduce bugs in subsequent versions. Unfortunately, as most comments are written in natural language, no solution has been proposed to automatically analyze commentsand detect inconsistencies between comments and source code. This paper takes the first step in automatically analyzing commentswritten in natural language to extract implicit program rulesand use these rules to automatically detect inconsistencies between comments and source code, indicating either bugs or bad comments. Our solution, iComment, combines Natural Language Processing(NLP), Machine Learning, Statistics and Program Analysis techniques to achieve these goals. We evaluate iComment on four large code bases: Linux, Mozilla, Wine and Apache. Our experimental results show that iComment automatically extracts 1832 rules from comments with 90.8-100% accuracy and detects 60 comment-code inconsistencies, 33 newbugs and 27 bad comments, in the latest versions of the four programs. Nineteen of them (12 bugs and 7 bad comments) have already been confirmed by the corresponding developers while the others are currently being analyzed by the developers.
Symmetry of electron diffraction from single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract We show that, even when the atomic structure of a single-walled carbon nanotube does not have mirror symmetry perpendicular to the tubule axis, the electron diffraction patterns of the single-walled carbon nanotube always possess 2mm symmetry. We have also analyzed the contributions of higher order Bessel functions to the intensity distribution on the layer lines and found that (a) their contributions are negligible and (b) they would not affect the symmetry of the diffraction pattern. Both experimental and simulated electron diffraction patterns of a single-walled carbon nanotube of indices (14, 9) are presented to illustrate the 2mm symmetry and to corroborate the theoretical analysis.
From Requirements Engineering to Green Requirements Engineering

After business analysis and software economics lay the foundation, requirements engineering structures the phase of eliciting, analysing, specifying and verifying the objectives and constraints for a software system under development. It is not yet fully investigated how to systematically integrate environmental sustainability into this discipline in order to achieve ‘greener’ software systems. This chapter outlines an approach of how to incorporate environmental sustainability as an objective from the very start in requirements engineering by using a reference artefact model with a goal model and continuous deduction and refinement. Thereby, software engineers are enabled to strategically align the objective of environmental sustainability with the other objectives for the software system under development.
Identity, Moral Choice, and the Moral Imagination: Is There a Neuroscientific Foundation for Altruism?

We review recent work in moral psychology, the neurosciences, and religion to explore the biological and behavioral foundations of altruism. Building on previous work on the psychology of rescuers during genocide (Monroe 1996, 2004, 2004), we describe the altruistic disposition as a feeling “at one with all humanity”, positing a perspective akin to Adam Smith's “impartial spectator” (1759/2004). Findings addressing the neuropsychology of religious experience, mindfulness-based psychotherapy and the psychology of terrorism can delineate the contours in the brain that might constitute a neuroscientific foundation for altruism. We close by discussing implications of our framework and suggest future hypotheses that could be tested as a result.
Introduction: The Tale of the Mori Program

The purpose of this book is to give an introductory and comprehensible account of what we call the Mori program, a program that emerged in the last two decades as an effective approach toward the biregular and/or birational classification theory of higher-dimensional algebraic varieties.
Stickiness and Caking of Infant Formula Food Powders Related to the Glass Transition Phenomena

The glass-rubber collapse phenomena as related to physical change was measured for three infant formula powders. The following methods were used: (1) Lazar method (advanced caking for 5g, Tac), (2) the ampoule method (surface caking for 1 g, Tsc), and DSC (Tg for 5–10 mg). Caking of the powders was also studied during storage at 20°C for five weeks at different %RH. Tg, Tsc and Tac appeared at higher values at faster heating rates due to the shorter residence time at any temperature. Tac occurred at higher temperatures than Tg and Tsc at given aw because it measures the advanced stage of collapse. Linear extrapolation of results predicted that powders would not cake until reaching a higher %RH than observed for five weeks storage at 20°C, while Tg gave good prediction.
Numerical Tools for Describing Musical Compositions

Our goal for this paper is to apply the methodologies of statistical mechanics to develop exible tools for use in computational musicology. Classical statistical mechanics is the study of extremely information-rich particle systems. Large quantities of information describing the position and velocity of each particle may be compressed into a few descriptive variables such as temperature and pressure. These variables are easily perceived by an observer. In the same way, we will distill information from the scores of musical compositions, producing new macroscopic quantities that describe perceptible features of the music.
Comparative Effectiveness of Sticky Red Spheres and Pherocon® Am Standard Traps for Monitoring Apple Maggot Flies in Commercial Orchards

In 16 commercial apple orchards in Massachusetts in 1978, unbaited, sticky-coated, 8.5-cm, dark red wooden spheres captured apple maggot flies, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), at consistently earlier dates and in consistently greater weekly (and total) numbers than did Pherocon® AM Standard pre-baited yellow rectangle traps. Furthermore, maggot fly captures on the spheres were much. more highly correlated with percent of maggot injury to fruit at harvest than were captures on the Pherocon traps. Finally, the spheres were more selective and less costly than the Pherocon traps.
Microscopic rates of peptide-phospholipid bilayer interactions from single-molecule residence times.

The binding of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to a planar phospholipid bilayer is measured using single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. From several reports in the literature, GLP-1 has been shown to be a random coil in free solution, adopting a folded, α-helix conformation when intercalated into membrane environments. Single-molecule fluorescence measurements of GLP-1 binding to supported lipid bilayers show evidence of two populations of membrane-associated molecules having different residence times, suggesting weakly adsorbed peptides and strongly bound peptides in the lipid bilayer. The path to and from a strongly bound (folded, intercalated) state would likely include an adsorbed state as an intermediate, so that the resulting kinetics would correspond to a consecutive first-order reversible three-state model. In this work, the relationships between measured single-molecule residence times and the microscopic rates in a three-state kinetic model are derived and used to in...
Collateral Damage and Critical Turning Points: Public Health Implications of HPV Vaccine News Coverage for Boys and Men in 2011

ABSTRACTIn 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially expanded approval of the Gardasil vaccine to include human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for boys and men, and in 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a formal recommendation for routine vaccination for this population. Despite these efforts, HPV vaccination rates for boys and men continue to fall short of public health targets. While news was breaking about the benefits of the HPV vaccine for boys and men, public attention shifted as a result of political debates concerning the vaccine. This study examines a pivotal time period for public health in which the vaccine became officially recommended for boys and men and at the same time became the center of political controversies in the lead-up to the 2012 presidential campaign. The current study extends previous research and presents a content analysis of newspaper articles (N = 154) about the HPV vaccine for the year 2011. Results indicate that the lack of c...
CONDITIONING TECHNIQUES IN PSYCHOTHERAPY.

Over the last decade more and more articles and books have been published dealing with the application of learning theory and principles in the individual and group psychotherapy of neurotic patien...
Bed bugs and possible transmission of human pathogens: a systematic review.

The global population of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus, family Cimicidae) has undergone a significant resurgence since the late 1990s. This is likely due to an increase in global travel, trade, and the number of insecticide-resistant bed bugs. The global bed bug population is estimated to be increasing by 100–500 % annually. The worldwide spread of bed bugs is concerning, because they are a significant socioeconomic burden and a major concern to public health. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, bed bugs are “a pest of significant health importance.” Additionally, 68 % of U.S. pest professionals reported that bed bugs are the most challenging pest to treat. Upwards of 45 disease pathogens have been reported in bed bugs. Recent studies report that bed bugs may be competent vectors for pathogens, such as Bartonella quintana and Trypanosoma cruzi. However, public health reports have thus far failed to produce evidence that major infectious disease outbreaks have been associated with bed bugs. Since many disease pathogens have previously been reported in bed bugs and the worldwide bed bug population is now drastically increasing, it stands to reason to wonder if bed bugs might transmit human pathogens. This review includes a literature search on recently published clinical and laboratory studies (1990–2016) investigating bed bugs as potential vectors of infectious disease, and reports the significant findings and limitations of the reviewed studies. To date, no published study has demonstrated a causal relationship between bed bugs and infectious disease transmission in humans. Also, we present and propose to expand on previous hypotheses as to why bed bugs do not transmit human pathogens. Bed bugs may contain “neutralizing factors” that attenuate pathogen virulence and, thereby, decrease the ability of bed bugs to transmit infectious disease.
Characteristics of Couples Who Attend Family Services Counselor Visits in Relationship Education

ABSTRACTCase management services for low-income couples receiving relationship education have been required by federal funding agencies. Studies examining relationship education outcomes for low-income couples have yet to address participant characteristics of those who attend case management services (e.g., distressed vs. nondistressed). Thus, this study examined the influence of baseline relationship satisfaction and demographics on attendance at case management visits for 2,628 low-income, partnered participants who attended relationship education. Findings indicated that participants who reported higher baseline relationship distress attended more family services counselor (FSC) visits. However, when we added demographics to the model, relationship distress no longer predicted FSC visits, whereas income served as a predictor for men and women, with those reporting greater monthly income attending more FSC visits.
NONMEM Population Models of Cytosine Arabinoside and Fludarabine Phosphate in Pediatric Patients With Leukemia

Computer software NONMEM for nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was used to determine the population pharmacokinetics (PPK) and pharmacodynamics (PPD) of intravenously administered nucleoside analogs cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) and fludarabine phosphate (F-ara-A) in pediatric patients with leukemias. A description of the major NONMEM tasks as well as the statistical models has been given for these drugs. Two pharmacokineticpharmacodynamic (PK-PD) models have been developed for ara-C and one for F-ara-A. These NONMEM population analyses present a novel approach for determining the PK parameters in many patients; these parameters are superimposable to the ones derived from the classical two-stage PK approach. However, by minimizing errors, population analyses explained the significant variabilities in the elimination of these drugs from the central compartment and the variable high peak plasma concentrations in younger leukemia patients. Moreover, the influence of the covariate product (TR AGE × SA) demonstrated an increase in the PK parameter values with increasing patient age (AGE) and surface area (SA). The evaluation of the intercompartmental clearance of ara-C demonstrated statistically significant linear relationships with the covariate product (AGE × SA). These results explained the lower drug plasma concentration in the older children as compared to the infant and younger patients with leukemias. In addition to the classical population pharmacokinetic and population pharmacodynamic parameters of half-lives of elimination, clearance, and volumes of distribution, these analyses in pediatric patients determined the effects of deamination by cytidine deaminase on the clearance of ara-C from the circulation. Moreover, the K m of activation of these drugs to their respective phosporylated anabolites in patients, and under treatment conditions, was determined by the Michaelis-Menten equation, which was fused into the INPUT PK-PD subroutine. Overall, NONMEM population PK-PD analyses are complicated and time consuming and require a rich database from many patients. However, they produce the best possible PK-PD analyses for a drug and its metabolites, the parameters of which give better understanding of the biochemical pathways in plasma and in leukemic blasts simultaneously, which can then be applied to many other patients in future clinical trials.
Retention in Buprenorphine Treatment Is Associated With Improved HCV Care Outcomes

Persons who inject drugs, most of whom are opioid dependent, comprise the majority of the HCV infected in the United States. As the national opioid epidemic unfolds, increasing numbers of people are entering the medical system to access treatment for opioid use disorder, specifically with buprenorphine. Yet little is known about HCV care in patients accessing buprenorphine-based opioid treatment. We sought to determine the HCV prevalence, cascade of care, and the association between patient characteristics and completion of HCV cascade of care milestones for patients initiating buprenorphine treatment. We reviewed electronic health records of all patients who initiated buprenorphine treatment at a primary-care clinic in the Bronx, NY between January 2009 and January 2014. Of the 390 patients who initiated buprenorphine treatment, 123 were confirmed to have chronic HCV infection. The only patient characteristic associated with achieving HCV care milestones was retention in opioid treatment. Patients retained (vs. not retained) in buprenorphine treatment were more likely to be referred for HCV specialty care (63.1% vs. 34.0%, p<0.01), achieve an HCV-specific evaluation (40.8% vs. 21.3%, p<0.05), be offered HCV treatment (22.4% vs. 8.5%, p<0.05), and initiate HCV treatment (9.2% vs. 6.4%, p=0.6). Given the current opioid epidemic in the US and the growing number of people receiving buprenorphine treatment, there is an unprecedented opportunity to access and treat persons with HCV, reducing HCV transmission, morbidity and mortality. Retention in opioid treatment may improve linkage and retention in HCV care; innovative models of care that integrate opioid drug treatment with HCV treatment are essential.
Aging in the circadian time structure of blood cell titers in the rat.

Leukocyte counts vary over the 24-hour day. Studies of the polymorphonuclear cell, lymphocytes, eosinophilia and monocyte levels in humans have revealed a significant rhythm over the 24-hour cycle.
Correlation of Acute and Late Brainstem Toxicities With Dose-Volume Data for Pediatric Patients With Posterior Fossa Malignancies

Purpose Radiation-induced brainstem toxicity after treatment of pediatric posterior fossa malignancies is incompletely understood, especially in the era of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The rates of, and predictive factors for, brainstem toxicity after photon RT for posterior fossa tumors were examined. Methods and Materials After institutional review board approval, 60 pediatric patients treated at our institution for nonmetastatic infratentorial ependymoma and medulloblastoma with IMRT were included in the present analysis. Dosimetric variables, including the mean and maximum dose to the brainstem, the dose to 10% to 90% of the brainstem (in 10% increments), and the volume of the brainstem receiving 40, 45, 50, and 55 Gy were recorded for each patient. Acute (onset within 3 months) and late (>3 months of RT completion) RT-induced brainstem toxicities with clinical and radiographic correlates were scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Results Patients aged 1.4 to 21.8 years underwent IMRT or volumetric arc therapy postoperatively to the posterior fossa or tumor bed. At a median clinical follow-up period of 2.8 years, 14 patients had developed symptomatic brainstem toxicity (crude incidence 23.3%). No correlation was found between the dosimetric variables examined and brainstem toxicity. Vascular injury or ischemia showed a strong trend toward predicting brainstem toxicity ( P =.054). Patients with grade 3 to 5 brainstem toxicity had undergone treatment to significant volumes of the posterior fossa. Conclusion The results of the present series demonstrate a low, but not negligible, risk of brainstem radiation necrosis for pediatric patients with posterior fossa malignancies treated with IMRT. No specific dose-volume correlations were identified; however, modern treatment volumes might help limit the incidence of severe toxicity. Additional work investigating inherent biologic sensitivity might also provide further insight into this clinical problem.
Multimode instability evolution driven by strong, high-energy-density shocks in a rarefaction-reflected geometry

We present an experiment using lasers to produce a shock pressure of >10 Mbar, which we then use to drive Richtmyer–Meshkov and Rayleigh–Taylor growth at a 2D multimode perturbed interface. Key features of this platform are that we can precisely reproduce the perturbation from iteration to iteration of the experiment, facilitating analysis, and that the lasers allow us to produce very strong shocks, creating a plasma state in the system. We also implement a Bayesian technique to analyze the multimode spectra. This technique enables us to draw quantitative conclusions about the spectrum, even in the presence of significant noise. For instance, we measure the signal contained in the seeded modes over time, as well as the transition of the initial growth rate of these modes into the overall saturation behavior of the spectrum.
Removing Object Bouncing from Indoor Tracking Data

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has evolved as a primary object tracking technology over the years. A Number of real world applications such as airport passenger baggage tracking have adapted RFID as a main technological tool for tracking and monitoring. However, the data generated by the RFID tracking contains errors. Therefore, it is important to remove such errors before data is used for any business processing. The primary focus of this paper is object bouncing problem, which happens when the object with attached RFID tag is detected by two or more RFID readers simultaneously or within a short period of time. Due to the bouncing, object appears to go back and forth between several locations in very short time, which is not realistically possible. To cater bouncing problem we exploit the reachability time constraints implied by the deployed readers in an indoor space. We evaluate the proposed work using the synthetically generated RFID data. The results shows that the approach is effective and efficient.
Photophysical characterization and time-resolved spectroscopy of a anthradithiophene dimer: exploring the role of conformation in singlet fission.

Quantitative singlet fission has been observed for a variety of acene derivatives such as tetracene and pentacene, and efforts to extend the library of singlet fission compounds is of current interest. Preliminary calculations suggest anthradithiophenes exhibit significant exothermicity between the first optically-allowed singlet state, S1, and 2 × T1 with an energy difference of >5000 cm−1. Given the fulfillment of this ingredient for singlet fission, here we investigate the singlet fission capability of a difluorinated anthradithiophene dimer (2ADT) covalently linked by a (dimethylsilyl)ethane bridge and derivatized by triisobutylsilylethynyl (TIBS) groups. Photophysical characterization of 2ADT and the single functionalized ADT monomer were carried out in toluene and acetone solution via absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, and their photo-initiated dynamics were investigated with time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. In accordance with computational predictions, two conformers of 2ADT were observed via fluorescence spectroscopy and were assigned to structures with the ADT cores trans or cis to one another about the covalent bridge. The two conformers exhibited markedly different excited state deactivation mechanisms, with the minor trans population being representative of the ADT monomer showing primarily radiative decay, while the dominant cis population underwent relaxation into an excimer geometry before internally converting to the ground state. The excimer formation kinetics were found to be solvent dependent, yielding time constants of ∼1.75 ns in toluene, and ∼600 ps in acetone. While the difference in rates elicits a role for the solvent in stabilizing the excimer structure, the rate is still decidedly long compared to most singlet fission rates of analogous dimers, suggesting that the excimer is neither a kinetic nor a thermodynamic trap, yet singlet fission was still not observed. The result highlights the sensitivity of the electronic coupling element between the singlet and correlated triplet pair states, to the dimer conformation in dictating singlet fission efficiency even when the energetic requirements are met.
Baryon Resonance Spectrum Error Analysis, Background Effects

Our analysis of the baryon spectrum and many results have been reported in previous proceedings of this workshop and elsewhere. The main purpose of this note is to give recent progress, in particular some interesting features that may not get as much treatment in a full article. We present a new treatment of errors along with a discussion of resonant vs. nonresonant processes.
Innovation: from small “i” to large “I”

Innovation is the lifeline for every organization. The primary purpose of innovation is to apply new ideas or technologies to create new or added value for the organization. This narrow goal is for small “i”. In the dynamic digital age, however, the goal of innovation should be much more aspirational and noble: “doing well by doing good” for the society at large and humanity. This lofty goal of innovation is for large “I”. In this paper, we review the evolution process of innovation and propose how innovation can disrupt the barriers to creating a smart future, the aspirational goal of innovation for the greater good.
Combating Climate Change One Bite at a Time: Environmental Sustainability of Veganism (with a Socio-Behavioral Comparison of Vegans and Omnivores)

In an era of escalating climate change, our research examines the environmental benefits of veganism and finds which factors could contribute to a societal shift towards veganism. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) release significant greenhouse gas emissions as well as expose people and animals to pathogens. Tropical rainforest destruction for grazing land, the vast amount of fresh/potable water needed for CAFOs and the exploitation of fish at unsustainable levels (impacting the greater global food chain) are all contributing to increasing climate change. Our exploratory empirical data found clear socio-behavioral differences between vegans and omnivores with regard to environmental impact. Specifically, vegans are environmentally conscious in terms of family planning (i.e. zero/negative population growth) and are also more apt to not only recycle but to seek to purchase products in recyclable packaging. Omnivores, whose behaviors drive the aforementioned debilitating effects on the climate, are amenable to altering these behaviors thereby reducing their environmental impact. Our findings indicate omnivores are open to eating vegan options and would consider adhering to a vegan lifestyle if that lifestyle positively impacts their personal health: (i.e., if their physician encouraged veganism and if legitimate reports showed animals on CAFOs were unhealthy and/or abused). Since omnivores generally do not place much importance on the environmental impact of their eating habits, a way to latently combat climate change is to increase knowledge regarding the multitude of veganism’s health benefits, which should result in an increasing number of omnivores who adhere to aspects of a vegan lifestyle.
The Significance of Ethological Studies: Playing and Peeing

The ease of observing and reliably identifying dogs makes them prime candidates for ethological and observational studies of a wide variety of behaviors including social play, social dominance, social organization, and urination patterns. In this chapter I discuss research on social play behavior and urination/scent-marking patterns. Through long-term observational studies, we have catalogued the behaviors of play, including play requests, communication of intentions, and arbitration and negotiation of “fair play.” Using this behavioral category as a model, we can discuss questions of the evolution of morality and social justice. Similarly, by detailed study of scent-marking behavior, we can deduce the evolutionary history of different patterns of elimination. Finally, a systematic ethological approach is contrasted with the casual-observational approach of popular literature on dogs.
Digging for data structures

Because writing computer programs is hard, computer programmers are taught to use encapsulation and modularity to hide complexity and reduce the potential for errors. Their programs will have a high-level, hierarchical structure that reflects their choice of internal abstractions. We designed and forged a system, Laika, that detects this structure in memory using Bayesian unsupervised learning. Because almost all programs use data structures, their memory images consist of many copies of a relatively small number of templates. Given a memory image, Laika can find both the data structures and their instantiations.We then used Laika to detect three common polymorphic botnets by comparing their data structures. Because it avoids their code polymorphism entirely, Laika is extremely accurate. Finally, we argue that writing a data structure polymorphic virus is likely to be considerably harder than writing a code polymorphic virus.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis associated with hepadnavirus infection.

A large number of inorganic and organic chemicals act as carcinogens in the liver. Most of these are not active until they are metabolized into short-lived electrophilic forms by the mixed function oxidase systems, e.g., P450 and P448, which is most abundant in the liver. The process of carcinogenesis is initiated when an electrophilic form binds to cellular macromolecules, most importantly DNA, and causes a permanent alteration in the nucleotide sequence. Some of the cells that have been altered in this manner are said to be “initiated”, meaning that they have acquired characteristics which may be expressed in cancer cells (Scherer 1989; Farber 1973; Sell et al. 1987).
Physical Processes Occurring on the Surface

This chapter discusses the ability to control the organometallic vapor-phase epitaxy (OMVPE) growth process for a wide variety of materials and describes the structures required for advanced electronic and photonic devices. The chapter explains that the surface reconstruction has a first-order effect on all the physical phenomena that occur during epitaxial growth, including adatom adsorption and desorption, and surface diffusion. The surface reconstruction determines the relative growth rate of a given facet relative to other facets within an adatom diffusion length. Thus, the geometric configuration of the surface can be controlled to give the specific shapes required for particular device applications. The production of such facets during growth is an important facilitating technology for the fabrication of optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs). The chapter also states that control of the surface reconstruction is also used to produce atomically smooth (111)B surfaces over areas as large as 100 μm across.
Triple-negative breast cancer treatment pattern and factors associated with its treatment in the United States: A population study using Central Cancer Registry data, 2013-2015.

24Background: Large population-based studies on TNBC epidemiology and treatment pattern in the US were generally limited due to lack of routinely data collection on these biomarkers until recent ye...
Peridinin Is an Exceptionally Potent and Membrane-Embedded Inhibitor of Bilayer Lipid Peroxidation

Antilipoperoxidant protein dysfunction is associated with many human diseases, suggesting that bilayer lipid peroxidation may contribute broadly to pathogenesis. Small molecule inhibitors of this membrane-localized chemistry could in theory enable better understanding and/or treatment of such diseases, but currently available compounds have important limitations. Many biological questions thus remain unanswered, and clinical trials have largely been disappointing. Enabled by efficient, building block-based syntheses of three atypical carotenoid natural products produced by microorganisms that thrive in environments of extreme oxidative stress, we found that peridinin is a potent inhibitor of nonenzymatic bilayer lipid peroxidation in liposomes and in primary human endothelial cells. We also found that peridinin blocks monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion, a key step in atherogenesis. A series of frontier solid-state NMR experiments with a site-specifically 13C-labeled isotopolog synthesized using the same MIDA boronate building block-based total synthesis approach revealed that peridinin is completely embedded within and physically spans the hydrophobic core of POPC membranes, maximizing its effective molarity at the site of the targeted lipid peroxidation reactions. Alternatively, the widely used carotenoid astaxanthin is significantly less potent and was found to primarily localize extramembranously. Peridinin thus represents a promising and biophysically well-characterized starting point for the development of small molecule antilipoperoxidants that serve as more effective biological probes and/or therapeutics.