cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image noise smoothing based on nonparametric statistics

ABSTRACT In this paper we describe a novel noise smoothing method based on a nonparametric statistic runs test. We assume that the data bits of a pixel can be divided into signal bits and noise bits. The signalcomprises the most significant bits and the noise bits are the least significant ones. The idea in this smoothing method is to preserve the signal bits and only modify the noise bits. The number of noise bitsof each pixel is determined based on the runs in the neighborhood. If the number of noise bits is zero then no smoothing is necessary. The degree of smoothing is a function of the number of noise bits. Using this technique we are able to smooth only noisy areas without reducing the spatial resolution in the image. The algorithm is easy to implement. The application of the smoothing algorithm on a chest image was given. 1. INTRODUCTION Image noise may come from the x-ray source, optical to electrical conversion, quantization error, or from thermal noise in the electronic amplifier. Noise degrades image quality and reduces spatial
Environmental Flow Attainment Metrics for Water Allocation Modeling

AbstractEnvironmental flow standards established according to a consensus-based, legislatively mandated process are being incorporated in the water rights permitting system for selected priority river systems in Texas. The flow standards for several of the rivers have been simulated as a part of a university research study using the new daily version of the Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) modeling system with modified input data sets from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Availability Modeling (WAM) system. Metrics have been evaluated using time series of simulated streamflows and flow targets to characterize the engagement and attainment of the environmental flow standards. The metrics help determine the extent to which the standards are achieved within a river system water allocation simulation and enable the comparison of results between the different environmental flow regime components, different locations, and alternative river system development scenarios.
Adequate Funding for Injury Prevention Research Is the Next Critical Step to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality From Firearm Injuries

Firearms are responsible for more than 33,000 deaths and 84,000 injuries every year.(1) The U.S. firearm fatality rate is the highest among all industrialized nations, with recent research demonstrating that Americans are ten times more likely to die from a firearm-related cause than residents of 22 other similar high-income countries.(2) In fact, over 80% of all firearm-related deaths due to homicides, suicides, and unintentional firearm injuries that occur in industrialized nations happen in the U.S. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Language: en
Design and Motion Analysis of the Licorice Transplanter

Transplanting mechanism is important in the popularization and application of the seedling transplanting technique in licorice.It is significant to design a new type of licorice transplanter combined with the agriculture technique of transplanting licorice seedling that has the advantages of good function and simple structure.In this paper,the even-move type of licorice transplanter was designed,adopting automatic dividing seed mechanism and automatic transplanting mechanism to solve baffling problems of dividing seed cultivating seed.Through theoretical analysis on the motion of seedling,the optimal position relationship between initiative chain wheel and two passive chain wheels was obtained,optimizing structure parameter.
Custom CAD-CAM healing abutment and impression coping milled from a poly(methyl methacrylate) block and bonded to a titanium insert

This article describes a technique in which a custom-made computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) healing abutment milled from a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block is fabricated and bonded to a titanium metal insert. An impression is made during dental implant surgery, and the CAD-CAM custom-made healing abutment is fabricated before second-stage surgery while appropriate healing time is allowed for the dental implant to osseointegrate. The contours of the healing abutment are based on the contours of a tentatively designed definitive prosthesis. The healing tissue obtains contours that will be compatible with the contours of the definitive prosthesis. After the milling process is complete, a titanium metal insert is bonded to the healing abutment. Placement of the custom-made CAD-CAM healing abutment at second-stage surgery allows the tissue to obtain contours similar to those of the definitive prosthesis. A custom-made CAD-CAM impression coping milled from a PMMA block and with a titanium insert is used for the definitive impression after the soft tissue has healed. This technique allows guided soft tissue healing by using a custom-made CAD-CAM healing abutment and impression coping.
Allergy and immunopathology: the “price” of immunity

This chapter reflects the widespread contemporary view that the same mechanisms that provide for defense against infectious disease ought not to function also to embarrass the host. In the dawning years of the twentieth century, those investigators active in the young field of immunology had been brought up, with Metchnikoff and Ehrlich, to view the immune response as an eminently useful Darwinian adaptation. It had evolved, presumably, to defend the organism against an outside world heavily populated by highly pathogenic organisms and virulent toxins. One of the scientists also argued that hypersensitivity and immunity are closely related. He cited the lack of obvious relationship between the level of tuberculin skin reactivity and the resistance to infection or the spread of disease in both man and experimental animals. He further pointed out: that simple hypersensitive inflammation is incapable of preventing the early spread of bacteria in the absence of specific acquired resistance; that immunity can be established without concomitant hypersensitivity; that immunity can be passively transferred without transfer of hypersensitivity; and that acquired resistance remains intact both in man and in lower animals after the abolition of hypersensitivity by desensitization.
Noise reductions in the NRC watt balance

After publication in 2014 of a Planck constant determination with low uncertainty [1], various modifications have been made to the NRC watt balance to lower type A and B uncertainty components. This paper lists the significant changes and in particular, details the reduction of the largest type A component by almost an order of magnitude. The impact of this reduction is then described with our first clear observation of the changes in the environmental magnetic flux density using the watt balance.
Impact of Cassava Value Chain Intensification Intervention on Nigerian Economy: Evidence from Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract The development of cassava value chain is relevant in Nigerian economy. Cassava value chain intensification intervention through improved technology, has the capacity to expand cassava production, processing marketing and consumption. This ultimately translates to increased cassava output/ha, employment, food security and reduce poverty in Nigeria. This study evaluates the impact of cassava value chain intensification intervention on Nigerian economy with evidence from Delta state in 2012. Primary data collected from randomly selected 100 respondents with the aid of questionnaire, were analysed using descriptive statistics, regression technique and profit function. The result shows that average net returns added on fufu and gari processing per year are ₦105,750 and ₦107,835; with return on investment of 81% and 89% respectively. Cassava value chain intensification intervention created impact in terms of number of project beneficiaries: producers (111.43%), processors (186.76) and traders (688.89%); increased output of cassava/ha and increased volume of cassava root processed into gari and fufu (66.67-71.43%).It was recommended that government policies and programmes should border on significant factors such as the maintenance of existing processing machines, credit facilities, quality control measures, better access to domestic and foreign markets,since these will enhance sustainable growth in cassava value chain, and development in Nigerian economy. Keywords: Cassava, processors, gari, fufu, intensification, intervention, value chain, ₦ = symbol of Nigerian currency
Source of IPOs’ Underperformance – Evidence on the Implication of Accrual Reversal

IPOs’ long-run underperformance has been well documented in prior studies. This paper examines earnings management and the implication of accrual reversals as the source of IPOs’ underperformance. I decompose earnings reported at the time of IPOs into accrual and cash components. I find that for US IPOs, only the cash component of earnings (not the accrual component) has significant predictive power for future stock performance; suggesting the level of accruals that makes up IPO earnings fails to sustain its performance in the post-issue period. For ADR IPOs, both the accrual and the cash components have significant predictive power for future stock performance. I further investigate whether the level of accrual reversal is associated with stock return in the post-issue period after controlling for earnings change. In the period subsequent to IPOs, after controlling for earnings change, I find that for US IPOs the larger the accrual reversal, the lower the stock performance. This result suggests that IPOs with inflated earnings are over-valued at the time of first going public. In the subsequent periods when accrual reversed against earnings, market penalizes firms with accrual reversal by revising their price valuation. For ADR firms, there is no significant association between accrual reversal and stock returns after controlling for earnings change, suggesting any change in accruals is due to changes in firm performance.
Phase I trial combining SCH 66336 to temozolomide (TMZ) for patients with grade 3 or 4 malignant gliomas (MG)

e13004 Background: Ras plays a crucial role in the control of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Farnesylation is an essential step in the post-translational processing of Ras. SCH 66336 inhibits farnesyl transferase, the crucial enzyme in this process. We report a phase I trial of TMZ and SCH 66336. Methods: Eligibility included: adult patients with stable or recurrent MG (GBM, anaplastic astrocytoma [AA], anaplastic oligodendroglioma [AO]) previously treated with radiation therapy (RT) and with or without chemotherapy; interval of at least two weeks between prior RT, or four weeks between prior chemotherapy; Karnofsky ≥ 60%; and adequate hematologic, renal and liver function. Patients were divided in two strata: those receiving enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAED) and those not receiving EIAED. Each patient was treated with TMZ for five days every 28 days, first cycle dosed at 150 mg/m2 and subsequent cycles at 200 mg/m2. SCH 66336 was dosed orally daily and was dose escalated. Responses...
The influence of crustal radioactivity on mantle convection and lithospheric thickness on Mars

Orbital measurements of gravity and topography demonstrate that the crust of Mars varies in thickness by about 100 km across the surface. As a result, the heat flux due to crustal radioactivity varies laterally by nearly 15 mW m−2. In an important new paper, Plesa et al. (2016, doi:10.1002/2016JE005126) have assessed how these variations in crustal thickness and heat flow affect the spatial pattern of convection in the Martian mantle. Their results have important implications for the interpretation of the Martian heat flux that will be measured by the upcoming InSight mission to Mars.
Renovascular hypertension: Mechanisms, natural history and treatment

Hypertension with atheromatous or fibromuscular renal artery stenosis was studied prospectively in 214 cases for 7 to 14 years. After 3 months or less of medical management proved unsuccessful, 100 patients, were submitted to surgical management. At latest follow-up examination, 84 of these survived and 51 were normotensive without medication. The survivors included 26 of 37 with artheromatous stenosis and 58 of 63 with fibromuscular stenosis. Medical management was continued in the other 114 patients (except for 16 transferred after 6 months to 5 years to surgical care but are not reported on here). Of these 114 patients, 44 had atheromatous disease, of whom 10 were surviving with medication at latest follow-up examination (7 others having been transferred to surgical management); and 70 had fibromuscular stenosis, of whom 49 survived with continuing medication (9 others having been transferred to surgery). At the latest follow-up study (December 1972), 55 of the 214 patients had died. Myocardial infarction, stroke and renal failure were the most common causes of death. Renal artery stenosis may be demonstrated by current angiographic techniques. Functional significance of proved lesions can be determined by renal vein renin activity, differential renal function study or demonstration of a systolic-diastolic or continuous abdominal bruit; and it can be suggested by intravenous urography and isotope renography. In carefully selected patients, definite amelioration or long-term relief of existing hypertension may be accomplished by appropriate surgical management; in the severe cases thus managed, the mortality rate appears to be decidedly reduced.
Aesthetic Description and Realism in Art Education.

In its appeal to common sense it is easy to imagine that the preferred object of study in art education would be one derived from a realist metaphysics of art. However, the intuitively identifiable properties which would appear on the surface to make real art works seem so accessible have proved inappropriate for the accommodation of aesthetic and representational qualities. This paper looks at the usefulness of a stable realism for questions related to the description and understanding of art works and briefly explores two theories which the author believes promise to resolve the antagonism between representational meanings and their assertion as true properties of the work. The explanatory power of descriptions is largely determined by their capacity for representing objects convincingly and significantly to belief. What we know in the aesthetic or otherwise by way of description is largely determined by the manner in which our descriptive representations have been circumscribed. One of the most demoralising intuitions art teachers have arises from the suspicion that what can be said about the aesthetic character of objects, in particular art objects, will in many instances turn out to be self evident and relatively trivial
A Logic of Information Systems

A logic can be formulated with information systems as elements. The calculus of this logic is similar to, but not identical with, Boolean algebra. The logic is inductive—conclusions have more information than premises. Inferences have a strong justification; they are valid for all proper scoring rules.
The Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Reward on the Intratest Performance of High- and Low-Scoring Children

Previous research has shown that contingent candy reward can increase the measured IQ of low-IQ children, but has little effect on the performance of high-IQ children. Implicit in these findings is the suggestion that children of high ability benefit more from the intrinsic reinforcement available in taking a test than do low-ability children, the latter responding more to extrinsic tangible reward. The present study examined this proposition by randomly assigning 33 high performers and 33 low performers to receive (a) intrinsic feedback alone, (b) noncontingent candy reward, or (c) contingent candy reinforcement while taking a derived picture vocabulary test which had approximately equal difficulty of items in each half. An evaluation of the intratest performance of each group, with a mixed design analysis of variance, revealed that only the low performers receiving contingent extrinsic reinforcement improved significantly within the test session. High-performing children appeared to do as well or better under intrinsic feedback alone as under conditions of external tangible reward.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Desmoid Fibromatosis Treated with PF-03084014, an Oral Gamma Secretase Inhibitor.

Desmoid fibromatosis is a fibroblastic neoplasm driven by aberrations within the WNT pathway, exhibiting mutations in β-catenin or APC. We review the long-term follow-up of patients in a phase I study treated with an oral gamma secretase inhibitor, PF-03084014. PF-03084014 was administered orally at doses ranging from 20 to 330 mg twice daily. Tumor assessments were performed using computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) within 4 weeks of study entry, and every other cycle through cycle 9. After cycle 9, patients were evaluated as clinically indicated. Seven patients with desmoid fibromatosis were treated between December 2009 and December 2016 at the University of Colorado. Five patients (71.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 29.0–96.3%) achieved a partial response (PR), with a mean time to achieving response of 11.9 months (95% CI 2.5–21.4 months). All patients who achieved a PR continue to maintain responses between 47.9 and 73+ months. Four patients stopped treatment yet remain free of progression between 11 and 53+ months. One patient had PFS of 42+ months, with a 17% decrease in the target lesion. A biopsy performed at the end of the study showed decreased tumoral cellularity compared with previous biopsies. Effective treatment doses ranged from 80 to 330 mg administered orally twice daily. PF-03084014 was effective in treating desmoid tumors, with an objective response rate of 71.4% (95% CI 29.0–96.3%) in this small cohort of patients. PF-03084014 exhibits promising activity, even at relatively low doses (80 mg twice daily), with high tolerability leading to prolonged disease control even after therapy discontinuation.
Associations of CAHPS Composites With Global Ratings of the Doctor Vary by Medicare Beneficiaries' Health Status.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:Care coordination among health care providers is essential for high-quality care and it is strongly associated with overall ratings of doctors. Care coordination may be especially important for sicker and chronically ill patients because of the multiple providers involved in their care. This study examines whether the association of care coordination with global ratings of one's personal doctor varies by number of chronic conditions and self-rated health. STUDY DESIGN:We used nationally representative Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey data to evaluate care coordination, doctor communication, getting needed care, getting care quickly, count of 6 chronic conditions (angina, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, heart attack, stroke), self-rated general health (5-point scale, poor to excellent, scored linearly), and interactions among them as predictors of the CAHPS global rating of personal doctor (scored 0-100 with 100 being best possible personal doctor) using linear regression models. The analytic sample included 242,871 Medicare fee-for-service and managed care beneficiaries in 2013: 56% female; 14% 18-64, 47% 65-74, 27% 75-84, and 11% 85 and older; and 48% high school education or less. RESULTS:The CAHPS composites (of care coordination, doctor communication, getting needed care, and getting care quickly) and number of chronic conditions were significantly positively associated with ratings of personal doctor (P<0.05). Care coordination and doctor communication had a stronger association with positive ratings of the personal doctor among those with worse self-rated health (P<0.001). DISCUSSION:Results were consistent with the hypothesis that patients in worse health weigh care coordination more heavily in global physician assessments than patients in better health. Emphasis on improving care coordination, especially for patients in poorer health, may improve patients' overall assessments of their providers. The study provides further evidence for the importance of care coordination experiences in the era of patient-centered care.
Follicular fluid inhibition of ovulation.

Ovulation was inhibited in the bovine following treatment with whole bovine follicular fluid. Ovulation was not inhibited following treatment with either steroid free or protein denatured follicular fluid. However treatment with the combination of steroid free follicular fluid and protein denatured follicular fluid was as effective as whole follicular fluid in inhibiting ovulation. Although steroid free follicular fluid did not inhibit ovulation, two of three animals which recieved this treatment did not form normal corpora lutea, as indicated by palpation and the occurance of ovulation 5 and 6 days after the initial post-treatment ovulation.
Parental habituation to human disturbance over time reduces fear of humans in coyote offspring.

A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies considering anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We observed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among-litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk-taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic consequences for first- and second-litter offspring. To quantify risk-taking behavior, we used foraging assays from 5-15 weeks of age with a human observer present as a proxy for human disturbance. At 5, 10, and 15 weeks of age, we collected shaved hair to quantify pup hormone levels. We then used a quantitative genetic approach to estimate heritability, repeatability, and between-trait correlations. We found that parents were riskier (i.e., foraged more frequently) with their second versus first litters, supporting our prediction that parents become increasingly habituated over time. Second-litter pups were also less risk-averse than their first-litter siblings. Heritability for all traits did not differ from zero (0.001-0.018); however, we found moderate support for repeatability in all observed traits (r = 0.085-0.421). Lastly, we found evidence of positive phenotypic and cohort correlations among pup traits, implying that cohort identity (i.e., common environment) contributes to the development of phenotypic syndromes in coyote pups. Our results suggest that parental habituation may be an ecological cue for offspring to reduce their fear response, thus emphasizing the role of parental plasticity in shaping their pups' behavioral and hormonal responses toward humans.
Deterioration in right ventricular structure and function over time in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction

AIMS Prevalent right ventricular (RV) dysfunction (RVD) is associated with increased mortality in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but no study has characterized long-term changes in RV structure and function within the same patient. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients with unequivocal HFpEF defined by either invasive haemodynamics or hospitalization for pulmonary oedema (n = 271) underwent serial echocardiographic evaluations >6 months apart. Clinical, structural, functional, and haemodynamic characteristics were examined. Over a median of 4.0 years (interquartile range 2.1-6.1), there was a 10% decline in RV fractional area change and 21% increase in RV diastolic area (both P < 0.0001). These changes greatly exceeded corresponding changes in the left ventricle. The prevalence of tricuspid regurgitation increased by 45%. Of 238 patients with normal RV function at Exam 1, 55 (23%) developed RVD during follow-up. Development of RVD was associated with both prevalent and incident atrial fibrillation (AF), higher body weight, coronary disease, higher pulmonary artery and left ventricular filling pressures, and RV dilation. Patients with HFpEF developing incident RVD had nearly two-fold increased risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio 1.89, 95% confidence interval 1.01-3.44; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION While previous attention has centred on the left ventricle in HFpEF, these data show that right ventricular structure and function deteriorate to greater extent over time when compared with changes in the left ventricle. Further study is required to evaluate whether interventions targeting modifiable risk factors identified for incident RVD, including abnormal haemodynamics, AF, coronary disease, and obesity, can prevent RVD and thus improve outcomes.
The International Migration of the Highly Skilled Demand, Supply, and Development Consequences in Sending and Receiving Countries

Wayne Cornelius, Thomas Espenshade, and Idean Salehyan (editors) La Jolla. Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, UCSN, 2001.
Small-Molecule Agonists of Ae. aegypti Neuropeptide Y Receptor Block Mosquito Biting

Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes bite humans to obtain blood to develop their eggs. Remarkably, their strong attraction to humans is suppressed for days after the blood meal by an unknown mechanism. We investigated a role for neuropeptide Y (NPY)-related signaling in long-term behavioral suppression and discovered that drugs targeting human NPY receptors modulate mosquito host-seeking. In a screen of all 49 predicted Ae. aegypti peptide receptors, we identified NPY-like receptor 7 (NPYLR7) as the sole target of these drugs. To obtain small-molecule agonists selective for NPYLR7, we performed a high-throughput cell-based assay of 265,211 compounds and isolated six highly selective NPYLR7 agonists that inhibit mosquito attraction to humans. NPYLR7 CRISPR-Cas9 null mutants are defective in behavioral suppression and resistant to these drugs. Finally, we show that these drugs can inhibit biting and blood-feeding on a live host, suggesting a novel approach to control infectious disease transmission by controlling mosquito behavior. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Non-Infant, Single Ventricle Patients Enjoy the Same Post-Transplant Survival as Other Congenital Heart Patients

Purpose Prior database studies have grouped pediatric transplant recipients broadly into “congenital heart disease” but have not distinguished between single ventricle (SV) patients and other diagnoses. By combining databases, we investigated whether SV patients could have similar post-transplant survival as biventricular (BiV) patients. Methods The UNOS database, providing patient outcomes, was combined with the Pediatric Hospital Information System (PHIS) database, used to elicit specific congenital diagnosis for patients transplanted at a PHIS hospital from 2006-2018. The most complex or diagnosis indicating SV physiology by ICD-9 diagnostic code was used to establish the primary diagnosis. Diagnoses were described and post-transplant outcomes compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results There were 1,803 patients identified with congenital heart disease undergoing transplantation. Diagnoses were identified 1,031 (57%) identified as SV pathology, 706 (39%) as BiV pathology, and 66 (4%) as indeterminant. Only 78 (4%) patients were >18. Though 1-year survival was worse for SV diagnoses compared to biventricular (84% vs 91%; p-value 0.05. When stratified by age, SV infants (n=402) had worse long-term survival compared to BiV (log-rank p=0.038), however, non-infants (n=629) remained the same (p=0.405) as seen in Figure 1. Conclusion Although early survival is worse, overall SV patients are expected to enjoy equally excellent long-term survival after cardiac transplantation as other congenital heart disease patients. However, long-term survival for infant SV is inferior to infant BiV patients, primarily due to mortality within the six months.
CLOSED-FORM SPECTRAL FATIGUE ANALYSIS FOR COMPLIANT OFFSHORE STRUCTURES

Special fatigue analysis frequently has been applied to welded joints in steel offshore structures. Although, on the theoretical basis, the spectral formulation holds certain advantages over other formulations such as the discrete, design wave type of analysis, numerical methods developed on that basis generally suffer from the shortcomings of lack of precision and high computational cost. This paper synthesizes the uncertainties resulting from modeling errors heretofore regarded as unavoidable in an analysis. Such errors are traced to the approximations introduced in handling of wave data, in numerical integration of the response power spectra, and in the integration that leads to the determination of cumulative fatigue damage. To each of these sources of modeling error, a transparent, closed form method is proposed that not only eliminates the potential errors but, surprisingly, also improves computational efficiency to a very great extent. The sensitivity of fatigue damage upon the variability of the shape parameter due to variability of wave environment for the so-called simplified analysis utilizing an idealized mathematical long-term probability density function (for example, the Weibull distribution) is also discussed.
Presentation Attack Detection for Face in Mobile Phones

Face is the most accessible biometric modality which can be used for identity verification in mobile phone applications, and it is vulnerable to many different presentation attacks, such as using a printed face/digital screen face to access the mobile phone. Presentation attack detection is a very critical step before feeding the face image to face recognition systems. In this chapter, we introduce a novel two-stream CNN-based approach for the presentation attack detection, by extracting the patch-based features and holistic depth maps from the face images. We also introduce a two-stream CNN v2 with model optimization, compression and a strategy of continuous updating. The CNN v2 shows great performances of both generalization and efficiency. Extensive experiments are conducted on the challenging databases (CASIA-FASD, MSU-USSA, replay attack, OULU-NPU, and SiW), with comparison to the state of the art.
Readings in the anthropocene: The environmental humanities, German studies, and beyond

The two volumes under consideration here add to a growing body of work on German literary and cultural responses to ecological problems that are written in English. Environmental issues, of course,...
Endoscopic ultrasound-through-the-needle biopsy in pancreatic cystic lesions: A large single center experience

Endoscopic ultrasound-through-the-needle biopsy in pancreatic cystic lesions: A large single center experience
Economic Barriers to Antiretroviral Therapy in Nursing Homes

Objectives Our aim was to clarify if persons living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) have adequate economic access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) when admitted to nursing homes (NHs). Medicare Part A pays NHs a bundled skilled nursing rate that includes prescription drugs for up to 100 days, after which individuals are responsible for the costs. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting NHs. Participants A total of 694 newly admitted long-stay (>100 d) NH residents with HIV. Measurements We used Minimum Dataset v.3.0, pharmacy dispensing data, NH provider surveys, and Medicare claims from 2011 to 2013. We assessed receipt of any HIV antiretrovirals or recommended combinations (ART), as defined by national care guidelines, and the source of payment. We identified predictors of antiretroviral use with risk-adjusted generalized estimating equation logistic models. Results All study persons living with HIV/AIDS in NHs had prescription drug coverage through Medicare's Part D program, and ART was 100% covered. However, only 63.9% received recommended ART, and 15.2% never received any antiretrovirals during their NH stay. The strongest predictor of not receiving antiretrovirals was the first 100 days of a long NH stay (odds ratio [OR] = .44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .24-.80). The strongest predictor of receiving recommended ART was health acuity (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.20-1.88). Conclusion People living with HIV in NHs do not always receive lifesaving ART, but the reasons are unclear and appear unrelated to economic barriers. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:777-782, 2020.
Focal adhesion displacement magnitude is a unifying feature of tensional homeostasis.

Abstract Tensional homeostasis is widely recognized to exist at the length scales of organs and tissues, but the cellular length scale mechanism for tension regulation is not known. In this study, we explored whether tensional homeostasis emerges from the behavior of the individual focal adhesion (FA), which is the subcellular structure that transmits cell stress to the surrounding extracellular matrix. Past studies have suggested that cell contractility builds up until a certain displacement is achieved, and we thus hypothesized that tensional homeostasis may require a threshold level of substrate displacement. Micropattern traction microscopy was used to study a wide range of FA traction forces generated by bovine vascular smooth muscle cells and bovine aortic endothelial cells cultured on substrates of stiffness of 3.6, 6.7, 13.6, and 30 kPa. The most striking feature of FA dynamics observed here is that the substrate displacement resulting from FA traction forces is a unifying feature that determines FA tensional stability. Beyond approximately 1 μm of substrate displacement, FAs, regardless of cell type or substrate stiffness, exhibit a precipitous drop in temporal fluctuations of traction forces. These findings lead us to the conclusion that traction force dynamics collectively determine whether cells or cell ensembles develop tensional homeostasis, and this insight is necessary to fully understand how matrix stiffness impacts cellular behavior in healthy conditions and, more important, in pathological conditions such as cancer or vascular aging, where environmental stiffness is altered. Statement of Significance Tensional homeostasis is widely recognized to exist at the length scales of organs and tissues, but the cellular length scale mechanism for tension regulation is not known. In this study, we explored whether tensional homeostasis emerges from the behavior of the individual focal adhesion (FA), which is the subcellular structure that transmits cell stress to the extracellular matrix. We utilized micropattern traction microscopy to measure time-lapses of FA forces in vascular smooth muscle cells and in endothelial cells. We discovered that the magnitude of the substrate displacement determines whether the FA has low temporal variability of traction forces. This finding is significant since it is the first known feature of tensional homeostasis that is broadly unifying across a range of environmental conditions and cell types.
Architecture and the Senses in the Italian Renaissance: The Varieties of Architectural Experience

This is the first study of Renaissance architecture as an immersive, multisensory experience that combines historical analysis with the evidence of first-hand accounts. Questioning the universalizing claims of contemporary architectural phenomenologists, David Karmon emphasizes the infinite variety of meanings produced through human interactions with the built environment. His book draws upon the close study of literary and visual sources to prove that early modern audiences paid sustained attention to the multisensory experience of the buildings and cities in which they lived. Through reconstructing the Renaissance understanding of the senses, we can better gauge how constant interaction with the built environment shaped daily practices and contributed to new forms of understanding. Architecture and the Senses in the Italian Renaissance offers a stimulating new approach to the study of Renaissance architecture and urbanism as a kind of 'experiential trigger' that shaped ways of both thinking and being in the world.
A Novel Evidence-Based Predictor Tool for Hospitalization and Length of Stay: Insights from COVID19 Patients in New York City

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved into a true global pandemic infecting more than 30 million people worldwide. Predictive models for key outcomes have the potential to optimize resource utilization and patient outcome as outbreaks continue to occur worldwide. We aimed to design and internally validate a web-based calculator predictive of hospitalization and length of stay (LOS) in a large cohort of COVID-19 positive patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) in a New York City health system. Methods The study cohort consisted of consecutive adult (>18 years) patients presenting to the ED of one of the Mount Sinai Health System hospitals between March, 2020 and April, 2020 who were diagnosed with COVID-19. Logistic regression was utilized to construct predictive models for hospitalization and prolonged (>3 days) LOS. Discrimination was evaluated using area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). Internal validation with bootstrapping was performed, and a web-based calculator was implemented. Results The cohort consisted of 5859 patients with a hospitalization rate of 65% and a prolonged LOS rate of 75% among hospitalized patients. Independent predictors of hospitalization included older age (OR=6.29; 95% CI [1.83-2.63], >65 vs. 18-44), male sex (OR=1.35 [1.17-1.55]), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR=1.74; [1.00-3.03]), hypertension (OR=1.39; [1.13-1.70]), diabetes (OR=1.45; [1.16-1.81]), chronic kidney disease (OR=1.69; [1.23-2.32]), elevated maximum temperature (OR=4.98; [4.28-5.79]), and low minimum oxygen saturation (OR=13.40; [10.59-16.96]). Predictors of extended LOS included older age (OR=1.03 [1.02-1.04], per year), chronic kidney disease (OR=1.91 [1.35-2.71]), elevated maximum temperature (OR=2.91 [2.40-3.53]), and low minimum percent oxygen saturation (OR=3.89 [3.16-4.79]). AUCs of 0.881 and 0.770 were achieved for hospitalization and LOS, respectively. A calculator was made available under the following URL: https://covid19-outcome-prediction.shinyapps.io/COVID19_Hospitalization_Calculator/ Conclusion The prediction tool derived from this study can be used to optimize resource allocation, guide quality of care, and assist in designing future studies on the triage and management of patients with COVID-19.
KCNK13 potassium channels in the ventral tegmental area of rats are important for excitation of ventral tegmental area neurons by ethanol.

BACKGROUND Alcohol excites neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the release of dopamine from these neurons is a key event in ethanol (EtOH)-induced reward and reinforcement. Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain EtOH's actions on neurons of the VTA, but antagonists generally do not eliminate the EtOH-induced excitation of VTA neurons. We have previously demonstrated that the ion channel KCNK13 plays an important role in the EtOH-related excitation of mouse VTA neurons. Here, we elaborate on that finding and further assess the importance of KCNK13 in rats. METHODS Rats (Sprague-Dawley and Fisher 344) were used in these studies. In addition to single-unit electrophysiology in brain slices, we used quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry to discern the effects of EtOH and the brain slice preparation method on the expression levels of the Kcnk13 gene and KCNK13 protein. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the levels of KCNK13 were significantly reduced during procedures normally used to prepare brain slices for electrophysiology, with a reduction of about 75% in KCNK13 protein at the time that electrophysiological recordings would normally be made. Extracellular recordings demonstrated that EtOH-induced excitation of VTA neurons was reduced after knockdown of Kcnk13 using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered via the recording micropipette. Real-time PCR demonstrated that the expression of Kcnk13 was altered in a time-dependent manner after alcohol withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS KCNK13 plays an important role in EtOH-induced stimulation of rat VTA neurons and is dynamically regulated by cell damage and EtOH exposure, and during withdrawal. KCNK13 is a novel alcohol-sensitive protein, and further investigation of this channel may offer new avenues for the development of agents useful in altering the rewarding effect of alcohol.
I need to just have a couple of White claws and play animal crossing tonight": Parents coping with video games during the COVID-19 pandemic"

The COVID-19 pandemic was an incredibly stressful time for parents of school-age children. Supervising remote schooling while also balancing work and life demands, in addition to health concerns, demanded much from parents. This study considers how parents used the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons to cope with pandemic-related stress. Using Reinecke and Rieger's (2021) recovery and resilience in entertaining media use model as a theoretical framework, this interview study of 33 parents from 27 families found that parents psychologically detached from their pandemic-stress laden worlds with the game, used the game to relax, found a sense of accomplishment through achieving goals via mastery experiences in the game, and appreciated the sense of control that the game afforded. An emergent code was found in that the game facilitated much-needed social connections for parents, which was part of their pandemic-stress coping. This study provides further evidence for video games as coping tools, with a specific focus on parental pandemic stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement This interview study looks at how parents used the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizon to cope with COVID-19 pandemic-related stress. Parents used the game to detach, relax, find a sense of accomplishment and control as well as facilitate social connections. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among Employees of a United States Academic Children's Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES Describe cumulative seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during the COVID-19 pandemic among employees of a large pediatric healthcare system. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective observational cohort study open to adult employees at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, conducted April 20 - December 17, 2020. METHODS Employees were recruited starting with high-risk exposure groups, utilizing emails, flyers, and announcements at virtual town halls. At baseline, 1-month, 2-month, and 6-month timepoints, participants reported occupational and community exposures and gave a blood sample for SARS-CoV-2 antibody measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). A post hoc Cox proportional hazards regression model was performed to identify factors associated with increased risk for seropositivity. RESULTS 1740 employees were enrolled. At 6-months, cumulative seroprevalence was 5.3%, below estimated community point seroprevalence; seroprevalence was 5.8% and 3.4% among employees with and without direct patient care, respectively. Most participants seropositive at baseline remained positive at follow-up assessments. In post hoc analysis, direct patient care (HR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.03 to 3.68), Black race (HR: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.24 to 5.87), and exposure to a confirmed case in a non-healthcare setting (HR: 4.32, 95% CI: 2.71 to 6.88) were associated with statistically significant increased risk for seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS Employee SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rates remained below the surrounding community's point prevalence rates. Provision of direct patient care, Black race, and exposure to a confirmed case in non-healthcare setting conferred increased risk. These data can inform occupational protection measures to maximize protection of employees within the workplace during future COVID waves or other epidemics.
Tandem Affinity Purification (TAP) Tags

Tandem affinity purification (TAP) tagging is a method to purify multimeric protein complexes that can be used under essentially physiological conditions. This technique allows subsequent protein identification by mass spectrometry or functional analysis of the proteins post-purification. The TAP method has already been used to help elucidate large networks of interacting proteins in several organisms. Keywords: tandem affinity purification; protein-protein interaction; protein network; protein purification
Education Feature: Table Point, Western Newfoundland - An Example of Disfiguration of a Famous Outcrop

Unknown collectors have vandalised theclassical locality at Table Point, westernNewfoundland. Many fossils have beenremoved with more or less success. Inattempts to collect fossils applying rocksaws and chisels, debris of fossils orpartly removed fossils were left at thelocality. Because most geological locali-ties are not protected by law in New-foundland, we hope that geologists willdevelop a sense of responsibility towardsnature and towards other scientists sothat classical sites like Table Point will berespected in the future.
Characterization of pantothenic acid deficiency and the dietary requirement of juvenile hybrid striped bass, Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis.

Abstract An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to characterize the pantothenic acid deficiency signs and quantify the dietary requirement of juvenile hybrid striped bass, Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis. A basal diet composed of fish muscle and crystalline amino acids was analyzed to contain 5 mg of pantothenate/kg and supplemented with calcium d -pantothenate resulting in five diets with graded pantothenate levels of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg/kg diet. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of hybrid striped bass juveniles (initial average weight 1.6 g) in a recirculating system at 26.0 ± 1 °C. Fish fed the unsupplemented basal diet performed poorly in terms of growth parameters and exhibited typical signs of pantothenic acid deficiency such as hemorrhages, sluggishness, high mortality, anemia and severe hyperplasia of the epithelial cells of gill lamellae. Fish fed the diet containing 10 mg of pantothenate/kg diet performed significantly better than fish fed the basal diet but poorly when compared with the responses of fish fed diets containing 20, 30 and 40 mg of calcium d -pantothenate/kg diet. Also, pantothenic acid-deficiency signs were apparent in fish fed the diet containing 10 mg/kg diet; whereas, no deficiency signs were observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the higher levels. Based on these data, the dietary pantothenic acid requirement of hybrid striped bass was quantified at 18.8 mg/kg diet based on broken-line regression analysis of weight gain data. Statement of relevance Pantothenic acid deficiency in hybrid striped bass was characterized and the minimum dietary pantothenic acid requirement was determined to be 18.8 mg/kg based on weight gain. This information will assist in refining diet formulations for hybrid striped bass.