cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinase Inducer (EMMPRIN) promotes lung fibroblast proliferation, survival and differentiation to myofibroblasts

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressively fatal disease. Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinase Inducer (EMMPRIN) is a glycosylated transmembrane protein that induces the expression of some matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) in neighboring stromal cells through direct epithelial–stromal interactions. EMMPRIN is highly expressed in type II alveolar epithelial cells at the edges of the fibrotic areas in IPF lung sections. However, the exact role of EMMPRIN in IPF is unknown. To determine if EMMPRIN contributes to lung fibroblast proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, and differentiation to myofibroblasts, normal Human lung fibroblasts (NHLF) transiently transfected with either EMMPRIN/GFP or GFP were treated with TGF- β1 from 0 to 10 ng/ml for 48 h and examined for cell proliferation (thymidine incorporation), apoptosis (FACS analysis and Cell Death Detection ELISA assay), cell migration (Modified Boyden chamber) and differentiation to myofibroblasts using Western blot for α–smooth actin of cell lysates. The effect of EMMPRIN inhibition on NHLF proliferation, apoptosis, migration and differentiation to myofibroblasts after TGF- β1 treatment was examined using EMMPRIN blocking antibody. We examined the mechanism by which EMMPRIN induces its effects on fibroblasts by studying the β-catenin/canonical Wnt signaling pathway using Wnt luciferase reporter assays and Western blot for total and phosphorylated β-catenin. Human lung fibroblasts overexpressing EMMPRIN had a significant increase in cell proliferation and migration compared to control fibroblasts. Furthermore, EMMPRIN promoted lung fibroblasts resistance to apoptosis. Lung fibroblasts overexpressing EMMPRIN showed a significantly increased expression of α- smooth muscle actin, a marker of differentiation to myofibroblasts compared to control cells. TGF-β1 increased the expression of EMMPRIN in lung fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. Attenuation of EMMPRIN expression with the use of an EMMPRIN blocking antibody markedly inhibited TGF-β1 induced proliferation, migration, and differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. EMMPRIN overexpression in lung fibroblasts was found to induce an increase in TOPFLASH luciferase reporter activity when compared with control fibroblasts. These findings indicate that TGF-β1 induces the release of EMMPRIN that activates β-catenin/canonical Wnt signaling pathway. EMMPRIN overexpression induces an anti-apoptotic and pro-fibrotic phenotype in lung fibroblasts that may contribute to the persistent fibro-proliferative state seen in IPF.
A Token-Based Approach to Sharing Beliefs in a Large Multiagent Team

The performance of a cooperative team depends on the views that individual team members build of the environment in which they are operating. Teams with many vehicles and sensors generate a large amount of information from which to create those views. However, bandwidth limitations typically prevent exhaustive sharing of this information. As team size and information diversity grows, it becomes even harder to provide agents with needed information within bandwidth constraints, and it is impractical for members to maintain any detailed information for every team mate. Building on previous token-based algorithms, this chapter presents an approach for efficiently sharing information in large teams. The key distinction from previous work is that this approach models differences in how agents in the team value knowledge and certainty about features. By allowing the tokens passed through the network to passively estimate the value of certain types of information to regions of the network, it is possible to improve token routing through the use of local decision-theoretic models. We show that intelligent routing and stopping can increase the amount of locally useful information received by team members while making more efficient use of agents’ communication resources.
How to Coordinate State and Local Sales Taxes With a Federal Value Added Tax

[enter Abstract Body]Federal adoption of a value added tax (VAT), which is argued to be preferable to a federal retail sales tax (RST), would create opportunities to improve the structure and administration of state and local sales taxes, by coordinating both their base and their administration with those of the federal tax. States interested in making these improvements could adopt either the integrated sales tax (IST), which is an ideal form of RST that zero-rates sales to registered traders, or a VAT. (Other states could continue to levy their RSTs, which are defective in that they tax many business purchases and exempt many sales to consumers.) Given the familiarity of the RST, the IST seems preferable to the VAT. Local governments could levy the IST, regardless whether states choose the IST or the VAT, but not a VAT.
The Evolution of the Count of Informal Workers

This Appendix provides background information for my calculations of the size and characteristics of the informal workforce using the 1999 National Sample Survey on Employment and Unemployment (NSS) (NSSO 2001a). For a more detailed discussion of this issue, see Agarwala (2009). Perhaps the largest obstacle to work on the informal economy to date has been the lack of consensus on how to define, and thus count, informal workers. Recent studies have begun to establish definitions that are becoming consistent, at least within India. Since the early 1970s, scholars have used a diverse range of methodologies to capture the informal workforce. When Keith Hart first coined the term “the informal sector,” there was little agreement about the concept, much less the methodology used to measure it. Almost no national-level data sets collected information on informal workers. As a result, scholars offered different, sometimes even conflicting, conclusions about the causes and effects of informal work.
Strategies Typically Developing Writers Use for Translating Thought into the Next Sentence and Evolving Text: Implications for Assessment and Instruction.

Three new approaches to writing assessment are introduced. First, strategies for generating the very next sentence are assessed in reference to the local level as well as the evolving text level of composing in progress. Second, strategies for translating thought into written language are coded with transcription (spelling) skill—low, average, or high—held constant. Third, instead of describing composing skill in reference to a single normed score for age or grade in a standardization sample at a static time in development, translation is studied longitudinally when children are in grades 1, 3, and 5 (ages 6, 8, 10) or grades 3, 5, and 7 (ages 8, 10, 12). Applications of the results are discussed for assessment and instruction grounded in levels and generativity of written language and normal variation in typically developing writers.
Beginning at the Beginning

It is the nature of beginnings that they be difficult. To make a beginning of any sort is to be confronted by the arbitrary and the obscure, the unprecedented and the unexpected. Beginnings themselves are formidable because they tend to elude observation and defy examination. Once a beginning is made, the experience of its sheer novelty is succeeded by an event whose parameters are more clearly defined. Hence, the difficulties peculiar to beginnings recede into obscurity and defy their own recovery. Yet we do start new projects in word or in action or in thought despite the conundrum of novelty. We are compelled by the persistence with which the unexpected and the unpredictable appear with bold regularity. That this experience holds true for the writer can be attested to by anyone who has commenced writing. And when the subject of this discourse is the nature of beginning, the beginning is especially opaque. Yet we must begin somewhere, and so we begin at the beginning.
Sebaceous Carcinoma Treated With Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

BACKGROUNDSebaceous carcinoma is a rare and potentially aggressive adnexal neoplasm with historic data indicating high rates of recurrence, metastasis, and cancer-specific mortality.OBJECTIVETo evaluate the incidence of local recurrence, metastasis, disease-specific mortality, and all-cause mortalit
A Three-Dimensional Variational Radar Data Assimilation Scheme Developed for Convective Scale NWP

A three-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme (3DVAR) has been developed for Convective scale NWP. In the scheme, a cost function is defined by a background term, an observation term, and a weak constraint term. The function is minimized through a limited memory, quasi-Newton conjugate-gradient algorithm. The background error covariance matrix, though simple, is modeled by a recursive filter. Furthermore, the square root of this matrix is used to precondition the minimization problem. In its original development, only radar radial velocity data could be assimilated. Recent developments for 3DVAR include the use of a model-derived diagnostic pressure equation constraint (DPEC) as a weak constraint, and the capability to assimilate reflectivity directly in the 3DVAR framework. The original radial-velocity-only 3DVAR method is applied to assimilate radial velocity observations considering beam broadening and earth curvature for an idealized supercell storm case, and real supercell storm cases. It is shown that the horizontal circulations, both within and around the storms, as well as the strong updraft and the associated downdraft, are well analyzed. The results also indicate that the method is quite insensitive to the effect of beam broadening, but very sensitive to the effect of earth curvature. So in the real data case studies, the effect of earth curvature is considered while beam broadening is not. Based on this 3DVAR framework, a real-time, weather-adaptive analysis system has been developed for the NOAA Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) project to incorporate all available radar observations within a moveable analysis domain. The system performed very well within the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Experimental Warning Program during preliminary testing in recent years when many severe weather events were successfully detected and analyzed. The impact of DPEC on radar data assimilation is examined primarily in the context of storm forecasts. It is found that the experiments using DPEC generally predict higher low-level vertical vorticity near the time of observed tornados than the experiments not using DPEC. Finally, the impact of assimilating both radar reflectivity and radial velocity data with an intermittent 3DVAR system is explored using an idealized thunderstorm case. It is found that by assimilating reflectivity data using simple hydrometer classification while also assimilating radial velocity data, the model can reconstruct the supercell thunderstorm quickly and the quality of analyses are improved compared to two other experiments without reflectivity and hydrometer classification. This paper represents the author’s research efforts in radar data assimilation for convective scale NWP during the past several years.
Neighbourhood characteristics and confidence in the police in the context of South Korea

ABSTRACTThis study examines the generalisability of research on neighbourhood influences on confidence in the police to the context of South Korea. In addition, we propose and test a theoretical model in which neighbourhood context influences confidence in the police indirectly via collective efficacy. We estimate multilevel models using the 2008 Korean Crime Victimization Survey. Neighbourhood disorder, residential stability, and collective efficacy affected citizens’ confidence in the police. The effects of disorder and residential stability on perceptions of the police were mediated by collective efficacy. We confirmed that several factors that have been shown to influence confidence in the police in the West are also important predictors in South Korea. Police need to be more concerned about issues such as disorder, social cohesion, and moral consensus, because when these values and structures are under threat, residents are more likely to have lower levels of confidence in the police.
Associations Between Midlife Vascular Risk Factors and 25-Year Incident Dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Cohort

Importance Vascular risk factors have been associated with cognitive decline. Midlife exposure to these factors may be most important in conferring late-life risk of cognitive impairment. Objectives To examine Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) participants in midlife and to explore associations between midlife vascular risk factors and 25-year dementia incidence. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort investigation of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study was conducted from 1987-1989 through 2011-2013. The dates of this analysis were April 2015 through August 2016. The setting was ARIC field centers (Washington County, Maryland; Forsyth County, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; and Minneapolis suburbs, Minnesota). The study comprised 15 744 participants (of whom 27.1% were black and 72.9% white) who were aged 44 to 66 years at baseline. Main Outcomes and Measures Demographic and vascular risk factors were measured at baseline (obesity, smoking, diabetes, prehypertension, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia) as well as presence of the APOE e4 genotype. After the baseline visit, participants had 4 additional in-person visits, for a total of 5 in-person visits, hospitalization surveillance, telephone calls, and repeated cognitive evaluations. Most recently, in 2011-2013, through the ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), participants underwent a detailed neurocognitive battery, informant interviews, and adjudicated review to define dementia cases. Additional cases were identified through the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status–Modified or informant interview, for participants not attending the ARIC-NCS visit, or by an International Classification of Diseases , Ninth Revision dementia code during a hospitalization. Fully adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate associations of baseline vascular and demographic risk factors with dementia. Results In total, 1516 cases of dementia (57.0% female and 34.9% black, with a mean [SD] age at visit 1 of 57.4 [5.2] years) were identified among 15 744 participants. Black race (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.21-1.54), older age (HR, 8.06; 95% CI, 6.69-9.72 for participants aged 60-66 years), lower educational attainment (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.28-2.03 for less than a high school education), and APOE e4 genotype (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.78-2.21) were associated with increased risk of dementia, as were midlife smoking (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.23-1.61), diabetes (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.53-2.04), prehypertension (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.14-1.51), and hypertension (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.22-1.59). The HR for dementia for diabetes was almost as high as that for APOE e4 genotype. Conclusions and Relevance Midlife vascular risk factors are associated with increased risk of dementia in black and white ARIC Study participants. Further studies are needed to evaluate the mechanism of and opportunities for prevention of the cognitive sequelae of these risk factors in midlife.
Two-dimensional XD-GRASP provides better image quality than conventional 2D cardiac cine MRI for patients who cannot suspend respiration

Residual respiratory motion degrades image quality in conventional cardiac cine MRI (CCMRI). We evaluated whether a free-breathing (FB) radial imaging CCMRI sequence with compressed sensing reconstruction [extradimensional (e.g. cardiac and respiratory phases) golden-angle radial sparse parallel, or XD-GRASP] could provide better image quality than a conventional Cartesian breath-held (BH) sequence in an unselected population of patients undergoing clinical CCMRI. One hundred one patients who underwent BH and FB imaging in a midventricular short-axis plane at a matching location were included. Visual and quantitative image analysis was performed by two blinded experienced readers, using a five-point qualitative scale to score overall image quality and visual signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) grade, with measures of noise and sharpness. End-diastolic and end-systolic left ventricular areas were also measured and compared for both BH and FB images. Image quality was generally better with the BH cines (overall quality grade for BH vs FB images 4 vs 2.9, p < 0.001; noise 0.06 vs 0.08 p < 0.001; SNR grade 4.1 vs 3, p < 0.001), except for sharpness (p = 0.48). There were no significant differences between BH and FB images regarding end-diastolic or end-systolic areas (p = 0.35 and p = 0.12). Eighteen of the 101 patients had poor BH image quality (grade 1 or 2). In this subgroup, the quality of the FB images was better (p = 0.0032), as was the SNR grade (p = 0.003), but there were no significant differences regarding noise and sharpness (p = 0.45 and p = 0.47). Although FB XD-GRASP CCMRI was visually inferior to conventional BH CCMRI in general, it provided improved image quality in the subgroup of patients with respiratory-motion-induced artifacts on BH images.
Review of vaccine effectiveness assumptions used in economic evaluations of infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Introduction: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have provided a significant clinical and economic impact globally. The majority of countries which have implemented an infant PCV program have o...
Trademark Image Similarity Search

A trademark may be a word, phrase, symbol, sound, color, scent or design, or a combination of these, that identifies and distinguishes the products or services of a particular source from those of others. One of the crucial steps both prior to filing of the trademark applications as well as during the review of these applications is conducting a thorough trademark search to determine whether the proposed mark is likely to cause confusion with prior registered trademarks and pending trademark applications. Currently, the trademark applicants or their representatives and examining attorneys manually search the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database that contains all of the active and inactive trademark registrations and applications. This search process relies on words and Trademark Design codes (which are hand annotated labels of design features) to search for images, thereby limiting the overall search process to primarily text-based search. For marks having image characteristics, users visually look at the image and other design characteristics and compare it with existing registered or pending trademarks to determine its uniqueness. Overall, the process of exhaustively looking at all the images that are categorized using a specific design code, while comprehensive, may take a substantial amount of time.
Classroom Interventions for Disruptive Behavior Disorders

The majority of classroom interventions are based on contingency management approaches, which include systematic application of consequences by teachers and the use of peer-mediated strategies. Homebased contingencies are often very effective. Increasing attention is being given to environmental and task modifications.
Reconnaissance of Mixed Organic and Inorganic Chemicals in Private and Public Supply Tapwaters at Selected Residential and Workplace Sites in the United States

Safe drinking water at the point-of-use (tapwater, TW) is a United States public health priority. Multiple lines of evidence were used to evaluate potential human health concerns of 482 organics and 19 inorganics in TW from 13 (7 public supply, 6 private well self-supply) home and 12 (public supply) workplace locations in 11 states. Only uranium (61.9 μg L–1, private well) exceeded a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation maximum contaminant level (MCL: 30 μg L–1). Lead was detected in 23 samples (MCL goal: zero). Seventy-five organics were detected at least once, with median detections of 5 and 17 compounds in self-supply and public supply samples, respectively (corresponding maxima: 12 and 29). Disinfection byproducts predominated in public supply samples, comprising 21% of all detected and 6 of the 10 most frequently detected. Chemicals designed to be bioactive (26 pesticides, 10 pharmaceuticals) comprised 48% of detected organics. Site-specific cumulative exposure–activity ratios (∑EAR) were calcu...
Evaluation of methods for estimating shear fatigue properties of steels and titanium alloys

Abstract This study evaluated the accuracy of different methods in estimating shear fatigue behavior of steels and titanium alloys from properties which are easier to obtain such as monotonic properties and hardness. In order to achieve this goal, test results of 23 types of carbon steel, Inconel 718, and three types of titanium alloys commonly used in industry were found in the literature. In addition, two types of steel and a Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy were subjected to axial monotonic and fatigue tests as well as torsion fatigue tests the results of which were used along with the data from literature. A reasonable correlation between uniaxial and shear fatigue properties of ductile and brittle behaving materials were found using von Mises and maximum principal strain criteria, respectively. Moreover, it was observed that for steels and Inconel 718 obtaining shear fatigue properties from uniaxial fatigue properties, which were in turn calculated from Roessle-Fatemi hardness estimation method, resulted in reasonable estimations. The shear fatigue properties estimated from the Roessle-Fatemi hardness method were also used for the analysis of variable amplitude axial-torsion fatigue tests performed on three types of ductile steel which resulted in reasonable fatigue life estimations. Furthermore, in order to use the Roessle-Fatemi hardness method for estimating the shear fatigue behavior of titanium alloys, this method was modified based on the uniaxial fatigue properties of titanium alloys.
An approach for modeling tachyons with gravitation

This work expands previous efforts, within the classical theories of Special and General Relativity, to include tachyons (faster-than-light particles) along with ordinary (slower-than-light) partic...
Requalification of dredging sediments through their use in concrete formulations based on a 3rd generation admixture

Abstract The growth of infrastructure has automatically led to a decrease in the deposits of concrete constituents since concrete is considered the world’s leading construction material. This is why it is necessary to move towards the development of alternative solutions, in particular the replacement of sand by dredged port sediments, which are assessed by thousands of tonnes of products considered as waste, the dredging of these products impacts the ecological system and negatively influences the marine environment. Through this article, we will study the possibility of requalifying the dredging sand of the port of Agadir in Morocco considered as waste through its use in concrete formulations by examining its behaviour with a sea-set cement and a 3rd generation admixture.
Response of a Plasma to an Applied Bias

In Chapter 2, a basic overview of the structure of a plasma was discussed, while in Chapter 3 characteristics of the various sources typically employed for sputter deposition were discussed. Both of these discussions were centered about the factors that have significant impact on the flux of charge from the plasma. This chapter outlines techniques to predict the flux of charged particles to a surface in response to an applied bias. The discussion offered in this chapter is generalized to an arbitrary applied bias. Chapter 5 will employ the discussion offered in this chapter to describe the flux of charge in response to a sinusoidal waveform, while Chapter 6 will use the discussion of this chapter to describe the flux of charge in response to a pulsed waveform.
On the Zeros of Plane Partition Polynomials

Let P L(n) be the number of all plane partitions of n while ppk(n) be the number of plane partitions of n whose trace is exactly k. We study the zeros of polynomial versions Qn(x) of plane partitions where Qn(x) = P ppk(n)x k . Based on the asymptotics we have developed for Qn(x) and computational evidence, we determine the limiting behavior of the zeros of Qn(x) as n → ∞. The distribution of the zeros has a two-scale behavior which has order n 2/3 inside the unit disk while has order n on
Effects of neighborhood environment, safety, and urban amenities on origins and destinations of walking behavior

Walking increases physical activity and reduces obesity. Walking behavior is influenced by many different factors, including urban safety. This article studies origin and destination choices of wal...
Distribution locational marginal price-based transactive day-ahead market with variable renewable generation

Abstract The large-scale penetration of variable renewable energy and their generation uncertainties poses a major challenge for the distribution system operator to efficiently determine the day-ahead real and reactive power distribution locational marginal prices and their underlying components. In this paper, we propose a distribution locational marginal price-based transactive day-ahead market model, that in addition to energy and losses, determines prices for creating congestions and voltage violations under peak-load and large-scale stochastic variable renewable energy penetration conditions. To account for the variable renewable energy uncertainties and the effect of their large-scale penetration on the distribution locational marginal price components and distributed energy resources’ schedules, we use a novel data-driven probability efficient point method that computes the optimal total variable renewable energy generation at different confidence (risk) levels to incorporate in the proposed transactive day-ahead market model. We perform a wide range of simulation studies on a modified Pacific Gas & Electric 69-node system to validate the proposed methods and demonstrate the effect of peak load conditions, large-scale variable renewable energy penetration, and integration of battery energy storage systems on the resulting positive or negative real and reactive power distribution locational marginal prices and their components.
Intraperitoneal paclitaxel and cisplatin compared with dose-dense paclitaxel and carboplatin for patients with stage III ovarian cancer.

Introduction Patients diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer are at high risk of recurrence and optimal adjuvant therapy is often debated. There is limited literature that directly compares intraperitoneal paclitaxel and cisplatin with dose-dense paclitaxel and carboplatin. Objectives The primary objective was to compare progression-free survival, overall survival, and tolerability of adjuvant intraperitoneal paclitaxel and cisplatin to dose-dense paclitaxel and carboplatin in stage III ovarian cancer patients. Methods A retrospective, IRB-approved, single center chart review was conducted reviewing adult patients with stage III ovarian cancer undergoing adjuvant intraperitoneal therapy or dose-dense therapy between 2010 and 2018. Results Eighty-two patients were included in the final analysis; 44 in the intraperitoneal group and 38 in the dose-dense group. Intraperitoneal therapy was not associated with a longer progression-free survival (35.4 vs. 31.1 months; P = 0.97). The duration of overall survival did not differ between intraperitoneal and dose-dense (56.3 vs. 54.5 months; P = 0.55). Dose reductions were less frequent with intraperitoneal than dose-dense (11.36% vs. 31.58%; P = 0.02). No difference in treatment delays (45.5% vs. 65.8%; P = 0.07), dose cancellations (59.1% vs. 57.9%; P = 0.91), supportive care additions (95.5% vs. 84.2%; P = 0.09), or therapy discontinuation (59.1% vs. 39.5%; P = 0.07) between groups was noted. Conclusions Intraperitoneal therapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin, as compared with dose-dense paclitaxel and carboplatin, did not prolong progression-free or overall survival in the adjuvant setting among stage III ovarian cancer patients. A trend towards decreased tolerability was noted with intraperitoneal therapy.
‘What to do over the week-end’: Towards an understanding of distraction, advertising and newspaper coverage of the Kansas City jazz scene in the 1930s

In the 1930s, everyday Kansas Citians distracted themselves in numerous ways followingthe work week. But where did one turn to discover the best place to have a goodtime in the Midwest's vice capital? A major source was print media. Like most cities,several newspapers served 'Kaycee', notably the Kansas City Star and the Kansas CityJournal-Post. Relatedly, the Kansas City Call was an important social mechanism forAfrican Americans newly emigrated from the South. What one notices after examiningthese newspapers is: 1) nightclub advertisements bombard readers with vivid sensorydetails designed to promote a venue's opulence and 2) the portrayal of the entertainmentscene differs markedly depending on the source. Applying Ben Highmore's conceptof 'distraction' (Ordinary Lives, 2011), this article argues that 'distraction advertising'paradoxically unifies-through everyday dynamics like race, sexuality, class, and evenfood/drink-each newspaper's depiction of the 'Amusements' section while reinforcingtarget readership demographics.
Sources, frequency, and chemical nature of dust events impacting the United States East Coast.

Abstract This study examines 14 years (2004–2017) of surface aerosol composition data from the EPA IMPROVE network with a focus on the monthly profile, sources, and chemical nature of extreme dust events (>92nd percentile of fine soil concentration each month) impacting ten sites along the United States East Coast ranging in latitude from Florida to Maine. Based on trajectory, remote sensing, and reanalysis data, dust events were categorized into four source categories: African, Asian, Mix (African + Asian), and Other (anything other than African and Asian). The results reveal that extreme dust events account for between 3.3% and 4.6% of total available days depending on the site. March-April-May (MAM) had the most (174) dust events, followed by June-July-August (JJA) with 172, and then by September-October-November (SON) with 160 and December-January-February (DFJ) with 150. There is a variability in the predominant dust sources based on latitude, with African and Other sources more influential from North Carolina to the south, while Asian and Other were most important from New Jersey to the north. The Mix category is consistently the least frequent dust category at all sites. The African dust category was linked to the highest fine soil levels across the entire East Coast relative to other sources regardless of location. JJA is mostly impacted by African dust for sites ranging from Florida to New Jersey, while MAM is dominated by Asian dust for all sites. Mix events occurred mostly between April and October and Other events were most common outside of MAM and JJA seasons. Seven out of ten sites had Other as the most dominant source. Aerosol constituents organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) had higher average concentrations in Other events (2.39 ± 0.78 μg m−3 and 0.79 ± 0.81 μg m−3, respectively) as compared to the other three source categories, suggestive of regional anthropogenic emissions. Moreover, the ratios of elements (Si:Al, K:Fe, Fe:Ca, Al:Ca) contributing to fine soil and PM2.5:PM10 exhibited distinct values depending on the dust source category and the site. This study builds on the growing evidence of the importance of long-range transport of dust in impacting distant regions and how a variety of sources can impact the U.S. East Coast at all times of the year.
Chapter 4 – Acids and Bases∗

This chapter provides a review of the concept of acids and bases. Since drugs work mainly within an aqueous environment in the body, the largest part of this chapter is concerned with acid–base properties in water. Factors that affect the equilibrium between an acid and its conjugate base, or a base and its conjugate acid, are discussed. The concept of salts as products of acid–base reactions is then introduced. Using a generalized acid, the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation is derived and its use in predicting the degree to which an acid or base is ionized in an aqueous solution of known pH is explored. A method for rapidly predicting approximate acid–base strength for a wide range of functional groups is then presented, making use of a device known as the pKa–pKb calculator. The final section serves as a brief introduction to the concept of Lewis acids and bases.
Bipartite Hansel results for hypergraphs

Abstract For integers n ≥ k ≥ 2 , let V be an n -element set, and let V k denote the set of all k -element subsets of V . For disjoint A , B ⊆ V , we say { A , B } covers K ∈ V k if K ⊆ A ∪ B and K meets each of A and B , i.e., K ∩ A ≠ 0 ≠ K ∩ B . We say that a collection C of such pairs { A , B } covers V k if every element of V k is covered by at least one member of C . When k = 2 , such a family is called a separating system of V , where this concept was introduced by Renyi (1961) and studied by many authors. Let h ( n , k ) denote the minimum value of ∑ { A , B } ∈ C ( | A | + | B | ) among all covers C of V k . Hansel (1964) determined the bounds ⌈ n log 2 n ⌉ ≤ h ( n , 2 ) ≤ n ⌈ log 2 n ⌉ , and Bollobas and Scott (2007) determined an exact formula for h ( n , 2 ) . We extend these results to give an exact formula for h ( n , k ) , and to guarantee that all optimal covers C of V k share a common degree-sequence. Our proofs follow lines of Bollobas and Scott, together with weight-shifting arguments in a similar vein to some of Motzkin and Straus (1965).
"If You Aren't White, Asian or Indian, You Aren't an Engineer": Racial Microaggressions in STEM Education.

Race and gender disparities remain a challenge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. We introduce campus racial climate as a framework for conceptualizing the role of racial microaggressions (RMAs) as a contributing factor to the lack of representation of domestic students of color in STEM programs on college campuses. We analyze the experiences of students of color in STEM majors who have faced RMAs at the campus, academic, and peer levels. We draw from an online survey of more than 4800 students of color attending a large public university in the USA. The STEM major subsample is made up of 1688 students of color. The study estimates a series of Poisson regressions to examine whether one’s race, gender, or class year can be used to predict the likelihood of the regular occurrence of microaggressions. We also use interview data to further understand the challenges faced by STEM students of color. The quantitative and qualitative data suggest that RMAs are not isolated incidents but are ingrained in the campus culture, including interactions with STEM instructors and advisers and with peers. Students of color experience RMAs at all three levels, but Black students in the STEM majors are more likely to experience RMAs than other students of color in the sample. Our study demonstrates the need for campus officials, academic professionals, faculty members, and students to work together to address racism at the campus, academic, and peer levels. Additionally, STEM departments must address the impacts of the larger racial campus culture on their classrooms, as well as how departmental culture reinforces racial hostility in academic settings. Finally, our findings reveal the continued presence of anti-Black racism in higher education.
Failure of Midline Fusion in a Neonate Mistaken as Trauma From Acute Sexual Assault

Abstract In this case report, we present an 8-day-old female with failure of midline fusion, also known as perineal groove, that was mistaken for trauma from acute sexual assault and provide a review of the literature to improve the recognition and management of this condition. Failure of midline fusion is a rare congenital anomaly that has not been well studied and may mimic trauma from sexual assault. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the characteristics and clinical presentation of this entity may help medical providers differentiate failure of midline fusion from injury. Clinical awareness of failure of midline fusion needs to be improved through further study of its incidence, prevalence, pathogenesis, natural history, work-up, and treatment.
Association between primary care physician diagnostic knowledge and death, hospitalisation and emergency department visits following an outpatient visit at risk for diagnostic error: a retrospective cohort study using medicare claims.

Objective Diagnostic error is a key healthcare concern and can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Yet no study has investigated the relationship between adverse outcomes resulting from diagnostic errors and one potentially large contributor to these errors: deficiencies in diagnostic knowledge. Our objective was to measure that associations between diagnostic knowledge and adverse outcomes after visits to primary care physicians that were at risk for diagnostic errors. Setting/participants 1410 US general internists who recently took their American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification (ABIM-IM-MOC) exam treating 42 407 Medicare beneficiaries who experienced 48 632 ‘index’ outpatient visits for new problems at risk for diagnostic error because the presenting problem (eg, dizziness) was related to prespecified diagnostic error sensitive conditions (eg, stroke). Outcome measures 90-day risk of all-cause death, and, for outcome conditions related to the index visits diagnosis, emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations. Design Using retrospective cohort study design, we related physician performance on ABIM-IM-MOC diagnostic exam questions to patient outcomes during the 90-day period following an index visit at risk for diagnostic error after controlling for practice characteristics, patient sociodemographic and baseline clinical characteristics. Results Rates of 90-day adverse outcomes per 1000 index visits were 7 for death, 11 for hospitalisations and 14 for ED visits. Being seen by a physician in the top versus bottom third of diagnostic knowledge during an index visit for a new problem at risk for diagnostic error was associated with 2.9 fewer all-cause deaths (95% CI −5.0 to −0.7, p=0.008), 4.1 fewer hospitalisations (95% CI −6.9 to −1.2, p=0.006) and 4.9 fewer ED visits (95% CI −8.1% to −1.6%, p=0.003) per 1000 visits. Conclusion Higher diagnostic knowledge was associated with lower risk of adverse outcomes after visits for problems at heightened risk for diagnostic error.
Tumor Control Probability Modeling for Radiation Therapy of Keratinocyte Carcinoma

Summary Skin cancer patients may be treated definitively using radiation therapy (RT) with electrons, kilovoltage, or megavoltage photons depending on tumor stage and invasiveness. This study modeled tumor control probability (TCP) based on the pooled clinical outcome data of RT for primary basal and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (BCC and cSCC, respectively). Four TCP models were developed and found to be potentially useful in developing optimal treatment schemes based on recommended ASTRO 2020 Skin Consensus Guidelines for primary, keratinocyte carcinomas (i.e. BCC and cSCC). Background Radiotherapy (RT) with electrons or photon beams is an excellent primary treatment option for keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), particularly for non-surgical candidates. Our objective is to model tumor control probability (TCP) based on the pooled clinical data of primary basal and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (BCC and cSCC, respectively) in order to optimize treatment schemes. Methods Published reports citing crude estimates of tumor control for primary KCs of the head by tumor size (diameter: ≤2 cm and >2 cm) were considered in our study. A TCP model based on a sigmoidal function of biological effective dose (BED) was proposed. Three-parameter TCP models were generated for BCCs ≤2 cm, BCCs >2cm, cSCCs ≤2 cm, and cSCCs >2 cm. Equivalent fractionation schemes were estimated based on the TCP model and appropriate parameters. Results TCP model parameters for both BCC and cSCC for tumor sizes ≤2 cm and >2cm were obtained. For BCC, the model parameters were found to be TD50 = 56.62 ± 6.18 × 10-3 Gy, k = 0.14 ± 2.31 × 10-2 Gy-1 and L = 0.97 ± 4.99 × 10-3 and TD50 = 55.78 ± 0.19 Gy, k = 1.53 ± 0.20 Gy-1 and L = 0.94 ± 3.72 × 10-3 for tumor sizes of ≤2 cm and >2 cm, respectively. For SCC the model parameters were found to be TD50 = 56.81 ± 19.40 × 104 Gy, k = 0.13 ± 7.92 × 104 Gy-1 and L = 0.96 ± 1.31 × 10-2 and TD50 = 58.44 ± 0.30 Gy, k = 2.30 ± 0.43 Gy-1 and L = 0.91± 1.22 × 10-2 for tumors ≤2cm and >2 cm, respectively. The TCP model with the derived parameters predicts that radiation regimens with higher doses, such as increasing the number of fractions and/or dose per fraction, lead to higher TCP, especially for KCs >2 cm in size. Conclusion Four TCP models for primary KCs were developed based on pooled clinical data that may be used to further test the recommended kV and MV x-ray and electron RT regimens from the 2020 ASTRO guidelines. Increasing both number of fractions and dose per fraction may have clinically significant effects on tumor control for tumors >2 cm in size for both BCC and cSCC.
Heterogeneity Aware Two-Stage Group Testing

Group testing refers to the process of testing pooled samples to reduce the total number of tests. Given the current pandemic, and the shortage of test supplies for COVID-19, group testing can play a critical role in time and cost efficient diagnostics. In many scenarios, samples collected from users are also accompanied with auxiliary information (such as demographics, history of exposure, onset of symptoms). Such auxiliary information may differ across patients, and is typically not considered while designing group testing algorithms. In this paper, we abstract such heterogeneity using a model where the population can be categorized into clusters with different prevalence rates. The main result of this work is to show that exploiting knowledge heterogeneity can further improve the efficiency of group testing. Motivated by the practical constraints and diagnostic considerations, we focus on two-stage group testing algorithms, where in the first stage, the goal is to detect as many negative samples by pooling, whereas the second stage involves individual testing to detect any remaining samples. For this class of algorithms, we prove that the gain in efficiency is related to the concavity of the number of tests as a function of the prevalence. We also show how one can choose the optimal pooling parameters for one of the algorithms in this class, namely, doubly constant pooling. We present lower bounds on the average number of tests as a function of the population heterogeneity profile, and also provide numerical results and comparisons.
Performance of Valved Respirators to Reduce Respiratory Particles Generated by Speaking

Wearing of face coverings serves two purposes: reducing the concentration of ambient particles inhaled and reducing the emission of respiratory particles generated by the wearer. The efficiency of different face coverings depends on the material, design, and fit. Face coverings such as N95 respirators, when worn properly, are highly efficient at filtering ambient particles during inhalation. Some N95 respirators, as well as other face covering types, include a one-way valve to allow easier exhalation while still maintaining high filtration efficiency towards ambient particles. The extent to which these valves decrease filtration of emitted respiratory particles is, however, not well established. Here, we show that different valved N95s exhibit highly variable filtration efficiencies for exhaled respiratory particles. As such, valved N95s do not provide reliable source control of respired particles and their use should be discouraged in situations where such source control is needed.
Stimulation of Bone Growth by Short-Wave Diathermy

1. The effects of short-wave diathermy on the epiphysis in the growing rat have been presented. In this small series of rats bone-growth stimulation was observed. 2. These observations have been presented as interesting experimental findings relative to the physiology of bone growth and to the problem of leg-length discrepancy. 3. It must be emphasized that no direct clinical application or comparison can be made. These observations or further studies using this method might be of value in the problem of leg-length discrepancy.
Corn and Soybean Yield Response to Micronutrients

Introduction Micronutrients are essential for crop growth, although they are needed in very small amounts. Prior research in Iowa and neighboring states had shown inconsistent corn and soybean grain yield responses to fertilization with micronutrients, except for zinc in corn. This report summarizes results of two studies with corn and soybean, one with application to the soil and the other with application to foliage, conducted at this farm from 2012 through 2014. The micronutrients evaluated were boron (B), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn).
NF-kappaB activation in the fetal lung promotes macrophage maturation (715.3)

In preterm infants, exposure to inflammation increases the risk of chronic, developmental lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia. While macrophages are the key cells that initiate lung inflammation, little is known about lung macrophage phenotype and maturation. We hypothesized that fetal lung macrophages mature into distinct subpopulations during mouse development, and that activation could influence macrophage maturation. Expression of the fetal macrophage markers CD68, CD86, CD206, Ym1, fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2), and indolamine-2, 3-dioxygenase (Ido1) was developmentally regulated. Flow cytometry analysis measured a narrow spectrum of CD11b expression in fetal lung macrophages, with separation into CD11bloF4/80hi and CD11bhiF4/80lo subpopulations in newborn and adult lung. Similar to adult alveolar macrophages, fetal lung macrophages responded to the TLR4 agonist LPS and the alternative activation cytokines IL-4 and IL-13. Using a macrophage-specific constitutively active IKKβeta transgenic mod...
Complexity Degrees of Algebraic Structures

We aim at studying collections of algebraic structures defined over a commutative ring and investigating the complexity of significant constructions carried out on these objects. The assignment of measures of size, via a multiplicity theory, to the algebras and to the construction itself is a novel aspect to the subject.
The Double Life of the College Campus: Striking a Balance between Reality and Expectations

La double vie des campus americains, l'une relle et l'autre imaginaire, n'est nulle part plus evidente que dans l'experience des etudiants, et en particulier dans leur implication dans l'enseignement. L'internationalisation croissante de la population etudiante, ainsi que l'acces a l'enseignement superieur pour les etudiants de condition modeste comptent parmi les points les plus urgents qui affectent la veritable nature du campus. La difficulte pour les bibliotheques academiques consiste a demeurer pertinentes pour les etudiants dans leur confrontation avec des obstacles qui defient leur experience imaginaire de l'universite.
Extended abstract: Technical communication, ethics, and expediency

Citing Steven Katz's seminal article “The Ethic of Expediency” and Philippe Sands' research on GITMO interrogations, I analyze technical documents justifying the torture of high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay to argue for continued attention to ethics in technical communication. Employing precedents established in the Nuremberg trials and in the Third Geneva Convention, I scrutinize how these documents were created and used. According to international legal precedents and some international legal authorities, the authors of these documents could be indicted for war crimes. Careful analysis of complex case studies such as these can help technical communicators better anticipate and take responsibility for the consequences of their acts of communication.