cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in mammography use across the nation: Separating evidence of disparities from the disproportionate effects of geography

Mammography is essential for early detection of breast cancer and both reduced morbidity and increased survival among breast cancer victims. Utilization is lower than national guidelines, and evidence of a recent decline in mammography use has sparked concern. We demonstrate that regression models estimated over pooled samples of heterogeneous states may provide misleading information regarding predictors of health care utilization and that comprehensive cancer control efforts should focus on understanding these differences and underlying causal factors. Our study population includes all women over age 64 with breast cancer in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registries, linked to a nationally representative 5% reference sample of Medicare-eligible women located in 11 states that span all census regions and are heterogeneous in racial and ethnic mix. Combining women with and without cancer in the sample allows assessment of previous cancer diagnosis on propensity to use mammography. Our conceptual model recognizes the interplay between individual, social, cultural, and physical environments along the pathways to health care utilization, while delineating local and more distant levels of influence among contextual variables. In regression modeling, we assess individual-level effects, direct effects of contextual factors, and interaction effects between individual and contextual factors. Pooling all women across states leads to quite different conclusions than state-specific models. Commuter intensity, community acculturation, and community elderly impoverishment have significant direct impacts on mammography use which vary across states. Minorities living in isolated enclaves with others of the same race/ethnicity may be either advantaged or disadvantaged, depending upon the place studied. Careful analysis of place-specific context is essential for understanding differences across communities stemming from different causal factors. Optimal policy interventions to change behavior (improve screening rates) will be as heterogeneous as local community characteristics, so no "one size fits all" policy can improve population health. Probability modeling with correction for clustering of individuals within multilevel contexts can reveal important differences from place to place and identify key factors to inform targeting of specific communities for further study.
Effect of Pointing Errors and Range on Performance of Dual-Pencil-Beam Scatterometers

Short-range FM scatterometers with single antennas are plagued by interference set up by feedthrough and internal reflections. Dual-antenna systems have much lower internal interference, but there are problems associated with pointing the antennas at the same spot. This note quantifies these problems for Gaussian-shaped beams. The use of antennas with beamwidth ratios of up to 5: 1 is shown to improve performance significantly over that obtained with identical beamwidths. For an angle between antenna centers (as viewed from the beam intersection) that is three times the beamwidth of the narrower antenna, the usable spread of range for equal beamwidths is only about 1.85:1, while for an angular ratio of 5, the usable spread of range is > 20:1.
Romantic Automatism: Art, Technology, and Collaborative Labor in Cold War America

In the wake of the Second World War, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg and other members of the New York art world helped transform popular understandings of what it might mean for human beings to work alongside information machines. This article shows how. Drawing on archival research, interviews and a survey of secondary sources, it follows Cage and Rauschenberg from Black Mountain College into their 1960s collaboration with engineers from Bell Laboratories in an organization called Experiments in Art and Technology (or E.A.T.). It then shows how, in 1970, at a Manhattan mansion packed with electronic media and christened `Automation House', E.A.T. modeled a fusion of artistic collaboration and automated labor for the captains of American industry. In the process, the article concludes, E.A.T. helped set the stage for a re-imagining of computing in the workplace as a bohemian practice and of computers as tools for creative, peer-to-peer collaboration.
Je Suis FEMEN! Traveling Meanings of Corporeal Resistance

The politicized body as a site of protest has been discussed extensively in feminist literature (e.g., by Anzaldua and Keating, Collins, DeLuca, Foust, Grosz, hooks, Lunceford, and Ott). Although f...
Population Genetics of Texas Spiny Softshell Turtles (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Under Various Anthropogenic Pressures in Two Distinct Regions of Their Range in Texas

Abstract Using 8 polymorphic microsatellite loci, we explored genetic variability in Texas spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera emoryi) in the region of Big Bend National Park (BBNP) and the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), which are located in western and southern regions, respectively, of the distribution of the subspecies in Texas. The presence of multiple anthropogenic stressors, such as river flow alterations, human population expansion, and direct harvest, motivated us to evaluate whether genetic consequences of these stressors have become apparent in this species. A low but significant level of genetic differentiation was detectable between these 2 regions. There was also detectable isolation by distance among the turtles in LRGV but not among turtles in BBNP, possibly because the LRGV localities were discontinuous ponds, whereas the BBNP localities were continuously joined stretches of the Rio Grande. We detected no evidence of a recent population bottleneck in BBNP or the LRGV. However, turt...
Recursive Neural Networks for Coding Therapist and Patient Behavior in Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an efficacious treatment for substance use disorders and other problem behaviors (Lundahl and Burke, 2009). However, little is known about the specific mechanisms that drive therapeutic change. A growing body of research has focused on coding within-session language to better understand how therapist and patient language mutually influence each other and predict successful (or unsuccessful) treatment outcomes. These studies typically use human raters, requiring considerable financial, time, and training costs for conducting such research. This paper describes the development and testing of a recursive neural network (RNN) model for rating 78,977 therapist and patient talk turns across 356 MI sessions. We assessed the accuracy of RNNs in predicting human ratings for client speech and compared them to standard n-gram models. The RNN model showed improvement over ngram models for some codes, but overall, all of the models performed well below human reliability, demonstrating the difficulty of the task.
Fault-y Reasoning: Navigating the Liability Terrain in Intelligent Transportation Systems

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) hold great promise to improve personal and commercial travel, but intelligently linking vehicles and travelers via increasingly interconnected real-time data systems creates a host of new and largely untested liability questions when things go wrong. In this article, we examine current policies, laws, and administrative codes guiding ITS liability by reviewing the scholarly literature and case law in the United States. We find (a) a patchwork of industry self-regulation, (b) a modicum of tort case law precedent that varies substantially across states, (c) many unresolved questions, and (d) little prospect of guiding federal legislation on the horizon. While the liability questions raised by driverless cars have received much attention, we conclude that ITS liability standards are likely to be settled incrementally in the near term on decidedly narrow grounds via case law on navigation and collision-avoidance systems, long before fully automated vehicles are deployed. Language: en
Modeling of ultrashort pulse generation in mode-locked VECSELs

We present a study of various models for the mode-locked pulse dynamics in a vertical external-cavity surface emitting laser with a saturable absorber. The semiconductor Bloch equations are used to model microscopically the light-matter interaction and the carrier dynamics. Maxwell’s equations describe the pulse propagation. Scattering contributions due to higher order correlation effects are approximated using effective rates that are found from a comparison to solving the microscopic scattering equations on the second Born-Markov level. It is shown that the simulations result in the same mode-locked final state whether the system is initialized with a test pulse close to the final mode-locked pulse or the full field build-up from statistical noise is considered. The influence of the cavity design is studied. The longest pulses are found for a standard V-cavity while a linear cavity and a V-cavity with an high reflectivity mirror in the middle are shown to produce similar, much shorter pulses.
The impact of social media reviews on restaurant performance: The moderating role of excellence certificate

Abstract A limited number of studies have been conducted that identify the major drivers of restaurant financial performance. In addition, how an excellence certificate moderates the relationship between determinants and restaurant financial performance is still unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of social media reviews and operating efficiency metrics on restaurant financial performance and to explore the moderating role of an excellence certificate. The findings of this study reveal that the number of online reviews customers make has a significant positive impact on restaurant performance. Additionally, customer overall rating, guest served per labor hour, and the food quality offered by the restaurant influence restaurant performance. The moderating effect of the restaurant excellence certificate between the number of reviews and restaurant performance are found to be significant. For a restaurant with an excellence certificate, a larger number of reviews or a better overall rating promotes net sales, guest counts, and average check to a larger degree compared to a restaurant without an excellence certificate. Consequently, in order to enhance a restaurant's top line, restaurant operators with an excellence certificate should keep the number of customer comments high and positive.
A prospective study of overnight orthokeratology

It is well established that wearing rigid contact lenses can induce changes in the curvature of the human cornea.
Genomics of Alzheimer Disease: A Review

Importance To provide a comprehensive review of knowledge of the genomics of Alzheimer disease (AD) and DNA amyloid β 42 (Aβ42) vaccination as a potential therapy. Observations Genotype-phenotype correlations of AD are presented to provide a comprehensive appreciation of the spectrum of disease causation. Alzheimer disease is caused in part by the overproduction and lack of clearance of Aβ protein. Oligomer Aβ, the most toxic species of Aβ, causes direct injury to neurons, accompanied by enhanced neuroinflammation, astrocytosis and gliosis, and eventually neuronal loss. The strongest genetic evidence supporting this hypothesis derives from mutations in the amyloid precursor protein ( APP ) gene. A detrimental APP mutation at the β-secretase cleavage site linked to early-onset AD found in a Swedish pedigree enhances Aβ production, in contrast to a beneficial mutation 2 residues away in APP that reduces Aβ production and protects against the onset of sporadic AD. A number of common variants associated with late-onset AD have been identified including apolipoprotein E, BIN1 , ABC7 , PICALM , MS4A4E/MS4A6A , CD2Ap , CD33 , EPHA1 , CLU, CR1 , and SORL1 . One or 2 copies of the apolipoprotein E e4 allele are a major risk factor for late-onset AD. With DNA Aβ42 vaccination, a Th2-type noninflammatory immune response was achieved with a downregulation of Aβ42-specific effector (Th1, Th17, and Th2) cell responses at later immunization times. DNA Aβ42 vaccination upregulated T regulator cells (CD4+, CD25+, and FoxP3+) and its cytokine interleukin 10, resulting in downregulation of T effectors. Conclusions and Relevance Mutations in APP and PS-1 and PS-2 genes that are associated with early-onset, autosomal, dominantly inherited AD, in addition to the at-risk gene polymorphisms responsible for late-onset AD, all indicate a direct and early role of Aβ in the pathogenesis of AD. A translational result of genomic research has been Aβ-reducing therapies including DNA Aβ42 vaccination as a promising approach to delay or prevent this disease.
Turning Around the Gaze in the Age of Technological Proliferation; or, Things Are Seldom What They Seem

Mixed media performance’s interdisciplinary collaborations offer exciting artistic possibilities. Layering can complicate the spectator’s experience and interpretations of the work. Using projections can also bring the audience closer to the work, in an emotional as well as a physical sense. In its simplest application, mixed media is capable of showing choreography from multiple perspectives, sometimes representing historical memory, or creating a temporal or spatial skew. Due to their very size, projected images often dominate a stage space. They can be used to create an environment where live performers can appear out of the projections or disappear into them. Discussion of the gaze and the notion of absence and presence brings a variety of theorists into play, including Walter Benjamin, Douglas Rosenberg, and John Berger.
Tunable pH- and CO2-Responsive Sulfonamide-Containing Polymers by RAFT Polymerization

The controlled RAFT polymerization of a library of pH- and CO2-responsive methacryloyl sulfonamides (MSAs) that possess pKa values in the biologically relevant regime (pH = 4.5–7.4) is reported. Initial polymerizations were conducted at 70 °C in DMF with 4-cyano-4-(ethylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl)pentanoic acid (CEP) or 4-cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate (CTP), resulting in polymers of broad molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn > 1.20). As well, chain extension of a poly(methacryloyl sulfacetamide) (pSAC) macro-CTA at 70 °C was unsuccessful, indicating a loss of “living” chain ends during polymerization. However, by conducting the RAFT polymerization of MSAs at 30 °C with 2,2′-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn < 1.15) and improved chain end retention were obtained. Homopolymers of each MSA derivative were synthesized, and the influence of the sulfonamide R group on monomer pKa and pH-dependent polymer solubility was determined duri...
Flood Damage Reduction Potential of River Forecast

An analytical method consisting of a set of hydrologic and economic models is presented for estimating expected flood damage reduction due to simulation of flood plain actions in a river basin. The method is based on the interrelationship of the hydraulic and hydrologic features of the flood plain, physical and economic data on flood-plain structures and their contents. Synthetic stage damage curves for individual residential and commercial structures reduces the need for field data. The method was demonstrated in the Connecticut River Basin where many complex urban flood damage centers exist on the main stem as well as on the tributaries. The analysis and interpretation of the results provided an estimate of the potential value of flood warnings in a basin where a river forecast system coupled with an effective citizen response can be one of the most cost-effective alternatives.
High-Fidelity Simulations of Pressure-Gain Combustion Devices Based on Detonations

High-fidelity numerical simulations and their impact on the research and development of detonation-based, pressure-gain combustion devices are discussed in this paper. Both time-dependent one- and multidimensional simulations have been used to highlight the advantages and limitations of these approaches. The level of fidelity of the physical models is established by comparison to experimental data. The results of detailed, one-dimensional numerical simulations are generalized to identify three key factors that control the idealized performance of a pulse detonation engine device. Multidimensional detonation structure studies are used to explain the observed difficulty in the initiation and transmission of detonations in ethylene–air mixtures in pulse detonation engine devices. Then multidimensional simulations of rotating detonation engine device are used to describe the basic flow field within such a device. The key parameters that control the idealized performance of these devices are explored using the...
Assessment of the Water Quality of Diwaniyah River

THE REDUCTION of environmental pollutants in the river is one of the most important priorities for the production of drinking water. In this study, a river known as Shatt Al-Diwaniyah (Qadissyia, Iraq) was selected to demonstrate the potential environmental impacts of various pollutants in the area from Sunni (north of the city of Diwaniyah, about 15 km). There are 15 sites selected for the period from March 2014 until the end of October 2014. This study includes the measurements of pH, TDS, EC, Do, BOD, NO3, and PO4. The results showed that the water temperature at all sites ranged between 28.98-31.2OC while, the pH values were in the range of constraints in all the sites (between 7.50 to 8.06). In addition, recorded EC values ranged from 1195 to 990µ/cm, TDS values ranged from 1323 to 890 mg/L, DO values ranged between (6.30 to 8.01) mg/L. The study recorded a high concentration of vital oxygen requirement beyond the conditions allowed in most of the sites studied. Nutrients also observed which fluctuated in a narrow range and a clear concentration especially nitrate. The Nitrate concentration ranged from 0.15 to 6.34 mg/L. The effective phosphate concentration is higher in some sites, than the permissible limits. The results showed that the presence of rubber and textile factory as well as the fever and kidney hospital may deteriorate the quality of the river's water, also, the abuses of the networks in the rain by the citizens living on both sides of the river. In most cases, the efficiency of the treatment plants may be affected by the deterioration of the effluent water.
Haplotype Counting for Sensitive Chimerism Testing: Potential for Early Leukemia Relapse Detection

Fields of forensics, transplantation, and paternity rely on human identity testing. Currently, this is accomplished through amplification of microsatellites followed by capillary electrophoresis. An alternative and theoretically better approach uses multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms located within a small region of DNA, a method we initially developed using HLA-A and called haplotype counting. Herein, we validated seven additional polymorphic loci, sequenced a total of 45 individuals from three of the 1000 Genomes populations (15 from each), and determined the number of haplotypes, heterozygosity, and polymorphic information content for each locus. In addition, we developed a multiplex PCR that amplifies five of these loci simultaneously. Using this strategy with a small cohort of leukemic patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, we first attempted to define a threshold (0.26% recipient) by examining seven patients who tested all donor and did not relapse. Although this initial threshold will need to be confirmed in a larger cohort, we detected increased recipient DNA above this threshold 90 to 145 days earlier than microsatellite positivity, and 127 to 142 days before clinical relapse in four of eight patients (50%). Haplotype counting using these novel loci may be useful for ultrasensitive detection in fields such as bone marrow transplantation, solid organ transplant rejection, patient identification, and forensics.
Comparative and Developmental Approaches to Spatial Cognition

This first section of the book with papers by Hazen and Rieser discusses comparative and developmental approaches to the study of spatial development. In fact, as is implicit in Hazen’s analysis these two approaches are not really different. Her discussion of Tinbergen’s four types of causality is one place where this becomes explicit. Indeed, it is possible to integrate the comparative, developmental, and individual difference approaches. All three easily encompass both physiological and environmental factors effecting behavior.
Unsupervised Learning Using Charge-Trap Transistors

Unsupervised learning is demonstrated using a device ubiquitously found in today’s technology: a transistor with high- ${k}$ -metal gate. Specifically, the charge-trapping phenomenon in the high- ${k}$ gate dielectric is leveraged so that the device can be used as a non-volatile analog memory. Experimental data from 22-nm silicon-on-insulator devices reveal that a charge-trap transistor possesses promising characteristics for implementing synapses in neural networks, such as very fine tunability, weight-dependent plasticity, and low power consumption. A proof-of-concept winner-takes-all neural network is simulated based on experimental data and perfect clustering is achieved within tens of training cycles. This means that the network can be trained for multiple times, and a larger system can be built. The robustness of the procedure to the device variation is also discussed.
Evaluation of striatonigral connectivity using probabilistic tractography in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract The cardinal movement abnormalities of Parkinson's disease (PD), including tremor, muscle rigidity, and reduced speed and frequency of movements, are caused by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra that project to the putamen, compromising information flow through frontal-subcortical circuits. Typically, the nigrostriatal pathway is more severely affected on the side of the brain opposite (contralateral) to the side of the body that manifests initial symptoms. Several studies have suggested that PD is also associated with changes in white matter microstructural integrity. The goal of the present study was to further develop methods for measuring striatonigral connectivity differences between PD patients and age-matched controls using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this cross-sectional study, 40 PD patients and 44 controls underwent diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) using a 40-direction MRI sequence as well as an optimized 60-direction sequence with overlapping slices. Regions of interest (ROIs) encompassing the putamen and substantia nigra were hand drawn in the space of the 40-direction data using high-contrast structural images and then coregistered to the 60-direction data. Probabilistic tractography was performed in the native space of each dataset by seeding the putamen ROI with an ipsilateral substantia nigra classification target. The effect of disease group (PD versus control) on mean putamen-SN connection probability and streamline density were then analyzed using generalized linear models controlling for age, gender, education, as well as seed and target region characteristics. Mean putamen-SN streamline density was lower in PD on both sides of the brain and in both 40- and 60-direction data. The optimized sequence provided a greater separation between PD and control means; however, individual values overlapped between groups. The 60-direction data also yielded mean connection probability values either trending (ipsilateral) or significantly (contralateral) lower in the PD group. There were minor between-group differences in average diffusion measures within the substantia nigra ROIs that did not affect the results of the GLM analyses when included as covariates. Based on these results, we conclude that mean striatonigral structural connectivity differs between PD and control groups and that use of an optimized 60-direction DWI sequence with overlapping slices increases the sensitivity of the technique to putative disease-related differences. However, overlap in individual values between disease groups limits its use as a classifier.
Are You Hooked on Paid Music Streaming?: An Investigation into the Millennial Generation

The proliferation of free on-demand music streaming services e.g., Spotify is offsetting the traditional revenue sources e.g., purchases of downloads or CDs of the music industry. In order to incre...
Double or nothing: Plasticity in reproductive output in the chilipepper rockfish (Sebastes goodei)

Abstract An understanding of the reproductive biology of a species is fundamental to successful management of fish stocks. Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) have complex reproduction, being viviparous and generally late to mature, often with extended adolescent periods characterized by abortive maturation events. Furthermore, whereas the majority of Sebastes species in the California Current region produce one brood of larvae annually, several are known to produce more than one, though no stock assessments have yet considered the impact multiple brooding may have on population spawning potential for these species. We documented abortive maturation and examined the prevalence and size-dependent and regional patterns of multiple brooding using macroscopic evaluation and detailed histological analysis of ovaries from a model species, chilipepper (S. goodei), collected off Central and Southern California. We modeled the size-related maternal effect on the probability of multiple brooding, and quantified size-dependent fecundity relationships. Our results indicate that the most robust estimation of reproductive output, as a function of the fecundity-length relationship, is improved for chilipepper when multiple brooding is incorporated, due to the greater probability of additional broods, and thus greater spawning potential, in larger females.
Genome Wide Association Study Identifies the HMGCS2 Locus to be Associated With Chlorthalidone Induced Glucose Increase in Hypertensive Patients

Background Thiazide and thiazide‐like diuretics are first‐line medications for treating uncomplicated hypertension. However, their use has been associated with adverse metabolic events, including hyperglycemia and incident diabetes mellitus, with incompletely understood mechanisms. Our goal was to identify genomic variants associated with thiazide‐like diuretic/chlorthalidone‐induced glucose change. Methods and Results Genome‐wide analysis of glucose change after treatment with chlorthalidone was performed by race among the white (n=175) and black (n=135) participants from the PEAR‐2 (Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses‐2). Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms with P −8 were further prioritized using in silico analysis based on their expression quantitative trait loci function. Among blacks, an intronic single‐nucleotide polymorphism (rs9943291) in the HMGCS2 was associated with increase in glucose levels following chlorthalidone treatment (s=12.5; P =4.17×10 −8 ). G‐allele carriers of HMGCS2 had higher glucose levels (glucose change=+16.29 mg/dL) post chlorthalidone treatment compared with noncarriers of G allele (glucose change=+2.80 mg/dL). This association was successfully replicated in an independent replication cohort of hydrochlorothiazide‐treated participants from the PEAR study (s=5.54; P =0.023). A meta‐analysis of the 2 studies was performed by race in Meta‐Analysis Helper, where this single‐nucleotide polymorphism, rs9943291, was genome‐wide significant with a meta‐analysis P value of 3.71×10 −8 . HMGCS2 , a part of the HMG‐CoA synthase family, is important for ketogenesis and cholesterol synthesis pathways that are essential in glucose homeostasis. Conclusions These results suggest that HMGCS2 is a promising candidate gene involved in chlorthalidone and Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)‐induced glucose change. This may provide insights into the mechanisms involved in thiazide‐induced hyperglycemia that may ultimately facilitate personalized approaches to antihypertensive selection for hypertension treatment. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifiers: NCT00246519 and NCT01203852.
Circulating metabolites of strawberry mediate reductions in vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in db/db mice

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease is 2-4-fold more prevalent in patients with diabetes. Human studies support the cardiovascular benefits of strawberry consumption but the effects of strawberry on diabetic vasculature are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that dietary strawberry supplementation attenuates vascular inflammation and dysfunction in diabetic mice. Methods Seven-week-old diabetic db / db mice that consumed standard diet ( db / db ) or diet supplemented with 2.35% freeze-dried strawberry ( db / db + SB) for ten weeks were compared to non-diabetic control mice ( db / + ). Indices of vascular inflammation and dysfunction were measured. Endothelial cells (ECs) were isolated from the vasculature to determine the influence of strawberry on them. The effect of metabolites of strawberry on endothelial inflammation was determined by incubating mouse aortic ECs (MAECs) with ±5% serum, obtained from strawberry fed mice (metabolites serum) or standard diet fed mice (control serum) ± 25 mM glucose and 100 μM palmitate. Results db / db mice exhibited an increased monocyte binding to vessel, elevated blood pressure, and reduced endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation compared with db / + mice but each defect was attenuated in db / db + SB mice. The elevation of inflammatory molecules, NOX2 and inhibitor-κB kinase observed in ECs from db / db vs. db / + mice was suppressed in db / db + SB mice. Glucose and palmitate increased endothelial inflammation in MAECs but were normalized by co-incubation with metabolites serum. Conclusions Dietary supplementation of strawberry attenuates indices of vascular inflammation and dysfunction in diabetic db / db mice. The effect of strawberry on vasculature is endothelial-dependent and possibly mediated through their circulating metabolites. Strawberry might complement conventional therapies to improve vascular complications in diabetics.
Oxidation of Organic Compounds in Water by Unactivated Peroxymonosulfate

Peroxymonosulfate (HSO5– and PMS) is an optional bulk oxidant in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for treating wastewaters. Normally, PMS is activated by the input of energy or reducing agent to generate sulfate or hydroxyl radicals or both. This study shows that PMS without explicit activation undergoes direct reaction with a variety of compounds, including antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, phenolics, and commonly used singlet-oxygen (1O2) traps and quenchers, specifically furfuryl alcohol (FFA), azide, and histidine. Reaction time frames varied from minutes to a few hours at pH 9. With the use of a test compound with intermediate reactivity (FFA), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and scavenging experiments ruled out sulfate and hydroxyl radicals. Although 1O2 was detected by EPR and is produced stoichiometrically through PMS self-decomposition, 1O2 plays only a minor role due to its efficient quenching by water, as confirmed by experiments manipulating the 1O2 formation rate (addition of H2O2) or li...
Scattering of low-energy positrons by helium and neon atoms

Total cross sections for the scattering of 2--50-eV positrons by helium and neon atoms have been measured using the time-of-flight technique, and are compared with recent experimental and theoretical results. The measurement of positron energies and the flight path length is described and possible sources of systematic errors, including the effects of small-angle forward scattering, are fully discussed.
C5a Stimulates Eosinophil Adhesion to Human Lung Microvascular Endothelial or Epithelial Cells: Priming with TNFα or IL-5

Eosinophils are thought to play a key role in perpetuating inflammatory changes and airway epithelial damage seen in asthma. Binding of eosinophils to endothelial cell adhesion molecules facilitates the migration of these cells from blood vessels into the respiratory tract. Subsequent eosinophil adhesion to airway epithelium may contribute to epithelial damage. A knowledge of factors that may potentiate or “prime” eosinophil adhesion to endothelial or epithelial cells may have important implications for the development of new anti-asthma therapies. For example, it has been shown that transendothelial migration of eosinophils in vitro can be “primed” by cytokines such as interleukin-5 (IL-5), IL-3 or GM-CSF [1]. We have recently shown, in vivo, that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) causes priming of eosinophil accumulation in guinea pig skin [2]. In the present in vitro study we have investigated priming effects of TNFα or IL-3 on C5a-induced adhesion of human eosinophils to human lung microvascular endothelial cells (LMVEC) or to a lung epithelial cell line (A549), in culture.
Equivalence of Fermat's Last Theorem and Beal's Conjecture

It is proved in this paper that (1){ \bf Fermat's Last Theorem:} If $\pi$ is an odd prime, there are no relatively prime solutions $x, y, z$ to the equation $z^\pi=x^\pi+y^\pi,$ and (2) { \bf Beal's Conjecture :} The equation $z^\xi=x^\mu+y^\nu$ has no solution in relatively prime positive integers $x, y, z$ with $\mu, \xi, \nu$ odd primes at least $3$. It is proved that these two statements are equivalent.
A radiogenomic dataset of non-small cell lung cancer

Medical image biomarkers of cancer promise improvements in patient care through advances in precision medicine. Compared to genomic biomarkers, image biomarkers provide the advantages of being non-invasive, and characterizing a heterogeneous tumor in its entirety, as opposed to limited tissue available via biopsy. We developed a unique radiogenomic dataset from a Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cohort of 211 subjects. The dataset comprises Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/CT images, semantic annotations of the tumors as observed on the medical images using a controlled vocabulary, and segmentation maps of tumors in the CT scans. Imaging data are also paired with results of gene mutation analyses, gene expression microarrays and RNA sequencing data from samples of surgically excised tumor tissue, and clinical data, including survival outcomes. This dataset was created to facilitate the discovery of the underlying relationship between tumor molecular and medical image features, as well as the development and evaluation of prognostic medical image biomarkers.
Theories of Equilibrium Inhomogeneous Fluids

I review two theoretical explanations for the existence of inhomogeneities in a fluid bilayer, such as the mammalian plasma membrane, which one might well expect to be homogeneous. The first is the existence of a phase separation. If biologically relevant temperatures are below the critical temperature of the separation, then these inhomogeneities are simply inclusions of one phase within the other. One has to understand, however, why macroscopic separation is not seen in the plasma membrane. If biologically relevant temperatures are above the critical temperature, then the inhomogeneities could be ascribed to critical fluctuations. There are difficulties with this interpretation which I note. The second possible interpretation is that the dynamic heterogeneities are evidence of a two-dimensional microemulsion. Several mechanisms which could give rise to it are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the coupling of membrane height fluctuations to composition differences. Such a mechanism naturally gives rise to a length scale which is of the correct order of magnitude for the domains postulated to exist in the plasma membrane.
Implementation of a Robotic Arm with 3D Vision for Shoes Glue Spraying System

Traditionally, the 3D vision guidance and robotic arm are integrated for a stationary object recognition and grasping. In the paper, an automatic glue spray system of shoes is developed for the cementing process. The system consists of a structured light module and a glue spray robot. In the beginning, the structured light scans a shoe from different angles to obtain the partial 3D model. And, a whole shoe model is created. On the other hand, a camera takes pictures of a shoe from different angles to detect the target area. In the target area, the normal vector is calculated by 3D point cloud data. And, the normal vector provides the information to the glue spray robot. Then, the path planning is given and the cementing process is well done.
Framing Empire: Postcolonial Adaptations of Victorian Literature in Hollywood

Examines how postcolonial filmmakers negotiate national identities in Hollywood-supported Victorian literature adaptations. This book examines postcolonial filmmakers adapting Victorian literature in Hollywood to contend with both the legacy of British imperialism and the influence of globalized media entities. Since decolonization, postcolonial writers and filmmakers have re-appropriated and adapted texts of the Victorian era as a way to 'write back' to the imperial centre. At the same time, the rise of international co-productions and multinational media corporations have called into question the effectiveness of postcolonial rewritings of canonical texts as a resistance strategy. With case studies of films like Gunga Din, Dracula 2000, The Portrait of a Lady, Vanity Fair and Slumdog Millionaire, this book argues that many postcolonial filmmakers have extended resistance beyond revisionary adaptation, opting to interrogate Hollywood's genre conventions and production methods to address how globalization has affected and continues to influence their homelands.
Performance of the VERITAS experiment

VERITAS is a ground-based gamma-ray instrument operating at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona. With an array of four imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), VERITAS is designed to measure gamma rays with energies from ∼ 85 GeV up to > 30 TeV. It has a sensitivity to detect a point source with a flux of 1% of the Crab Nebula flux within 25 hours. Since its first light observation in 2007, VERITAS has continued its successful mission for over seven years with two major upgrades: the relocation of telescope 1 in 2009 and a camera upgrade in 2012. We present the performance of VERITAS and how it has improved with these upgrades.
Human vascular endothelial cells express epithelial growth factor in response to infection by Bartonella bacilliformis.

Bartonella are Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that trigger pathological angiogenesis during infection of humans. Bartonella bacilliformis (Bb) is a neglected tropical agent endemic to South America, where it causes Carrion's disease. Little is known about Bb's virulence determinants or how the pathogen elicits hyperproliferation of the vasculature, culminating in Peruvian warts (verruga peruana) of the skin. In this study, we determined that active infection of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by live Bb induced host cell secretion of epidermal growth factor (EGF) using ELISA. Killed bacteria or lysates of various Bb strains did not cause EGF production, suggesting that an active infection was necessary for the response. Bb also caused hyperproliferation of infected HUVECs, and the mitogenic response could be inhibited by the EGF-receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, AG1478. Bb strains engineered to overexpress recombinant GroEL, evoked greater EGF production and hyperproliferation of HUVECs compared to control strains. Conditioned (spent) media from cultured HUVECs that had been previously infected by Bb were found to be mitogenic for naive HUVECs, and the response could be inhibited by EGFR blocking with AG1478. Bb cells and cell lysates stimulated HUVEC migration and capillary-like tube formation in transmigration and Matrigel assays, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of EGF production by Bb-infected endothelial cells; an association that could contribute to hyperproliferation of the vascular bed during bartonellosis.
Association of Sarcopenia with Oncologic Outcomes of Primary Surgery or Definitive Radiotherapy among Patients with Localized Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Importance The negative association of low lean muscle mass (sarcopenia) with survival outcomes in head and neck cancers, including oropharyngeal carcinoma, is established. However, it is not known whether the choice of primary treatment modality (surgery or radiotherapy) is associated with oncologic outcomes of patients with sarcopenia and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Objective To examine whether primary surgical resection or definitive radiotherapy is associated with improved survival for patients with sarcopenia and localized OPSCC. Design, Setting, and Participants A cohort study was conducted of patients with clinically staged T1 to T2, N0 to N2 OPSCC with cross-sectional abdominal imaging within 60 days prior to treatment and treated between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017. Skeletal muscle mass was measured at the third lumbar vertebra using previously defined techniques and sarcopenia was defined as less than 52.4 cm2/m2of muscle for men and less than 38.5 cm2/m2for women. In addition, associated patient demographic characteristics, cancer data, treatment information, and survival outcomes were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed from December 3, 2018, to August 28, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcomes were overall survival and disease-specific survival. Results Among the 245 patients who met study inclusion criteria, 209 were men (85.3%) and the mean (SD) age was 62.3 (7.8) years. Sarcopenia was detected in 135 patients (55.1%), while normal skeletal muscle mass was detected in 110 patients (44.9%). For the 110 patients without sarcopenia, primary treatment modality was not associated with improved survival. For patients with sarcopenia at diagnosis, primary surgical resection was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 95% CI, 0.17-0.82) and disease-specific survival (HR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.07-0.68). This association persisted after propensity score matching, as up-front surgery was associated with improved overall survival (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12-0.91) and disease-specific survival (HR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04-0.75) survival. Conclusions and Relevance This study suggests that sarcopenia has a negative association with survival for patients with OPSCC. Primary surgery and radiotherapy confer similar survival associations for patients with normal skeletal muscle mass and localized OPSCC. However, up-front surgical resection may be associated with improved survival outcomes for patients with sarcopenia.
Basic Reproduction Numbers for a Class of Reaction-Diffusion Epidemic Models

We study the basic reproduction numbers for a class of reaction-diffusion epidemic models that are developed from autonomous ODE systems. We present a general numerical framework to compute such basic reproduction numbers; meanwhile, the numerical formulation provides useful insight into their characterizations. Using matrix analysis, we show that the basic reproduction numbers are the same for these PDE models and their associated ODE models in several important cases that include, among others, a single infected compartment, constant diffusion rates, uniform diffusion patterns among the infected compartments, and partial diffusion in the system.
Applying Blockchain Technology to Address the Crisis of Trust During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The widespread death and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed deficiencies of existing institutions regarding the protection of human health and well-being. Both a lack of accurate and timely data and pervasive misinformation are causing increasing harm and growing tension between data privacy and public health concerns. Objective: This aim of this paper is to describe how blockchain, with its distributed trust networks and cryptography-based security, can provide solutions to data-related trust problems. Methods: Blockchain is being applied in innovative ways that are relevant to the current COVID-19 crisis. We describe examples of the challenges faced by existing technologies to track medical supplies and infected patients and how blockchain technology applications may help in these situations. Results: This exploration of existing and potential applications of blockchain technology for medical care shows how the distributed governance structure and privacy-preserving features of blockchain can be used to create “trustless” systems that can help resolve the tension between maintaining privacy and addressing public health needs in the fight against COVID-19. Conclusions: Blockchain relies on a distributed, robust, secure, privacy-preserving, and immutable record framework that can positively transform the nature of trust, value sharing, and transactions. A nationally coordinated effort to explore blockchain to address the deficiencies of existing systems and a partnership of academia, researchers, business, and industry are suggested to expedite the adoption of blockchain in health care.
Ibudilast for alcohol use disorder: study protocol for a phase II randomized clinical trial

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic and relapsing condition for which current pharmacological treatments are only modestly effective. The development of efficacious medications for AUD remains a high research priority with recent emphasis on identifying novel molecular targets for AUD treatment and to efficiently screen new compounds aimed at those targets. Ibudilast, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, has been advanced as a novel addiction pharmacotherapy that targets neurotrophin signaling and neuroimmune function. This study will conduct a 12-week, double-blind, placebo controlled randomized clinical trial of ibudilast (50 mg BID) for AUD treatment. We will randomize 132 treatment-seeking men and women with current AUD. We will collect a number of alcohol consumption outcomes. Primary among these is percent heavy drinking days (PHDD); secondary drinking outcomes include drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, percent days abstinent, percent subjects with no heavy drinking days, and percent subjects abstinent, as well as measures of alcohol craving and negative mood. Additionally, participants will have the option to opt-in to a neuroimaging session in which we examine the effects of ibudilast on neural activation to psychosocial stress and alcohol cues. Finally, we will also collect plasma levels of proinflammatory markers, as well as subjective and biological (salivary cortisol) markers of stress response. This study will further develop ibudilast, a safe and promising novel compound with strong preclinical and clinical safety data for AUD, and will probe biological mechanisms underlying the effects of Ibudilast on stress, neuroinflammation, and alcohol cue-reactivity and craving. If ibudilast proves superior to placebo in this study, it will set the stage for a confirmatory multi-site trial leading to FDA approval of a novel AUD treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03594435 “Ibudilast for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder”. Registered on 20 July 2018.