cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Present Status of Biological Control Work in California

Biological control is discussed from two angles; one, that of the public attitude toward it; the other, its present condition from the economic standpoint. Because of the spectacular results of the introduction of Vedalia, the Australian ladybird, in the early days of California horticulture, the general public was inclined to favor this method of control to the exclusion of all others. This is no longer the case and while the work is generously supported both by scientific institutions and by growers organizations, it is very properly looked upon as only one arm of the defense against insects injurious to agriculture. The numerical status of the cottony cushion scale is kept below the danger line in an almost perfect way by thc work of Vedalia cardinalis and Cryptochaetum monophlebi. The contrary is true of the black scale which, although attacked by several parasites and predators, maintains a high level of abundance and is still the most important pest of citrus in the state. The attempt to find effective natural enemies of this pest is being continued. The red scale has been studied in the orient during the past 18 months and new natural enemies have been located there. Mealybug control by the production and distribution of quantities of the ladybird Cryptolaemus has been eminently satisfactory, and costs of this operation have been reduced from those of the preceding season.
Enhanced and Tunable Open-Circuit Voltage using Dialkylthio Benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene in Polymer Solar Cells

In this study, we explore the effect of the dialkoxy and dithioalkoxy side chains on the benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) unit by comparing the O-BDT homopolymer (O-PBDT), S-BDT homopolymer (S-PBDT), and S-BDT-alt-O-BDT copolymer (SO-PBDT) by computational calculations and experimental results. The polymers were prepared by Pd-catalyzed Stille coupling. Additionally, hole mobility and film morphology were studied by fabricating organic field effect transistors (OFETs) and using TappingMode AFM, respectively. The photovoltaic properties of the polymers were measured from fabricated PSC devices. The replacement of the alkoxy (−OR) groups with thioalkoxy (−SR) groups lowered the HOMO energy level of the conjugated polymers from 5.31 to 5.41 eV, and consequently enhanced Voc, while still preserving the excellent properties offered by the BDT-based polymers. Especially, high Voc of 0.99 V was achieved from S-PBDT polymer based PSC with up to 4.0% of PCE, which is one of the highest efficiencies reported f...
Role of dihydroartemisinin(DHA) in proliferation and apoptosis of human osteosarcoma 143B cells

Aim To observe the effect of dihydroartemisinin(DHA) on proliferation and apoptosis of human osteosarcoma 143B cells and the possible mechanism.Methods Human osteosarcoma cell line 143B was cultured in vitro;MTT [3-(4,5) the-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide,MTT] colorimetric assay and clone formation assay were applied to detect the role of DHA in the survival and growth status of human osteosarcoma cells.Hoechst 33258 cell staining was used for apoptosis detection.The luciferase reporter gene,β-Catenin-Luc(p-Top) was constructed to detect β-Catenin activity after DHA's role in 143B cells.The marker protein expression closely related to tumor cell proliferation,such as PCNA,Cyclin D1,C-Myc,and apoptosis,such as Bad,Bcl-2,Caspase-3,was detected by Western blot.Results 24 hours after DHA played role in 142B,MTT results showed that DHA could inhibit the proliferation of the 143B cells,and colony formation diminished(P0.05),the inhibition efficiency increased significantly at a concentration of 35 μmol·L-1DHA.143B cells was significantly enhanced(P0.05),and the PCNA expression was lowered,and cell proliferation was inhibited,pro-apoptotic protein Bad and caspase-3 expression was significantly enhanced,while Bcl-2 protein expression decreased significantly.Conclusions Dihydroartemisinin significantly inhibits the proliferation of human osteosarcoma 143B cells and promote apoptosis,which may be associated with the downregulation of cell proliferation-associated proteins,the PCNA and Bcl-2,and the upregulation of pro-apoptotic protein,Bad and Caspase-3.
Linetype design of triple helix single screw pump based Pro/E

The linetype design of triple helix single screw pump is that a short-amplitude cycloid is used as the primary gear form for stator and the conjuration gear form is used on rotor on the basis of the analysis and comparison of all kinds of cycloids. On the basis of the optimization of linetype using Pro/E software determinate that a short-amplitude cycloid with k=1/3 is used on rotor. And then the expressions of linetype of stator and rotor are derived. he dummy modeling with the Pro/E software is aimed at offering the reference for practical machining of the triple helix single screw pump.
Necrotizing Cavernositis Secondary to Periodontal Abscess

AbstractSpontaneous cavernositis is a distinctly uncommon entity. Corporeal infection and abscess formation have been described in association with priapism, cavernosography, intracavernous injection therapy, trauma and penile prostheses. We report a case of acute necrotizing cavernositis in a diabetic patient, which presumably originated with hematogenous seeding from a periodontal abscess. Isolation of typical oral pathogens from corporeal cultures provides bacteriological evidence of a dental source for the corporeal infection.
Cell division: A sticky problem for chromosomes

The role of Ki-67 in mitotic cell division has been a mystery. Extensive imaging reveals that this highly positively charged protein coats chromosomes to prevent them from coalescing. See Letter p.308 As chromosomes prepare for division by the process of mitosis, they undergo reorganization into separate bodies. Through an RNAi screen, Daniel Gerlich and colleagues demonstrate that this process is mediated by Ki-67 — a protein known as a cell proliferation marker and used in cancer diagnostics. After nuclear envelope disassembly, Ki-67 prevents chromosomes from collapsing into a single cluster by acting as a biological surfactant. In fact, many biophysical properties of this protein match those of surfactants, and it appears to be through these properties, rather than though a specific region of the protein, that Ki-67 ensures chromosome separation.
Evolutionary foundations of personality.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the evolution of personality. Personality psychology in evolutionary biology is essential and unavoidable. There are four different uses of evolution: (1) evolution as fact, (2) evolution as path, (3) evolution as theory and (4) specific evolutionary hypnotizes. Evolution as fact refers to the natural unfolding or change of organisms down through the generations from earlier forms. Evolution, in this sense, refers to change over time. Evolution as path refers to the specific series of changes that led to a current form; the evolutionary phylogeny, trajectory, or descent of a given species. Although many details of the path of human evolution remain unknown, the specific evolutionary trajectory can be traced from mammalian and primate ancestors to current modern forms. Evolution as theory refers to natural selection, the mechanism or process by which change takes place. If variations in the organic world leading to greater survival and reproduction recur frequently enough over generations, the cumulative effect is evolutionary. Specific evolutionary hypnotizes refer to propositions about the function of a particular mechanism, structure, or feature of human behavior. According to the hypothesis, males have evolved a mechanism to detect when females are ovulating.
Human-Factors Requirements for Putting a Man in Orbit

Man’s survival and operational capability in an artificial earth satellite depend primarily on the reliability and accuracy of the launching, guidance and recovery operations on the one hand, and on the perfection of his engineered environment, on the other. Although the human organism is much more sensitive and vulnerable than that of many other creatures, his greater versatility and higher intelligence assure his survival under new and threatening circumstances. If a physiologically habitable environment is created, and if its functions during orbiting are secured, the human passenger can withstand the stresses involved in manned satellite operations of a limited duration.
Grating Acuity Cards: Validity and Reliability in Studies of Human Visual Development

Publisher Summary This chapter evaluates critically the acuity card procedure (ACP), a preferential looking (PL) measure of grating acuity, which has become a major outcome measure in the studies of the effects of dietary fatty acids on human infant development. It is found that in the studies of normal full-term and healthy preterm infants, in which testers are often familiar with the expected acuity scores for infants of a particular age, knowledge of the spatial frequency of the gratings on the acuity cards could bias the tester's judgment concerning acuity threshold, thereby reducing the variability of the acuity results. In a study, in which the standard clinical ACP was used to test acuity in a large population of pediatric ophthalmology patients, mean acuities obtained by three testers showed significant differences for the right eye tests but not left eye tests. It is suggested that that most of the variability in test-retest comparisons is due to biological differences within individual infants and to variability arising from the measurement procedure.
Multiple Myeloma Stage I, II and Renal Insufficiency Are Associated with Increased Stroke Risk (S31.003)

Objective: To determine the risk factors, stroke mechanisms and outcome following a stroke in MM patients. Background: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are at increased risk of arterial thrombosis. Our aim was to determine the risk factors, mechanisms and outcome following a stroke in these patients. Methods : We conducted a matched cohort study from our prospective database of MM patients enrolled in TT2, TT3a, TT3b protocols who developed a vascular event (transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage) from October 1998 to January 2014 with age, sex and treatment matched controls. Comparison of baseline demographics, risk factors, MM characteristics, laboratory values and mortality between both groups was performed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with stroke. Ischemic strokes (IS) were classified using the modified Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria. Out of 1148 patients, 46 developed a vascular event (ischemic stroke-33, transient ischemic attack-11, hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage-2 patients). Results: On multivariate regression analysis, independent predictors associated with stroke were, renal insufficiency (Odds Ratio, 3.528, 95[percnt] CI, 1.36-9.14; p=0.0094) and MM Stage I and II (Odds Ratio, 2.770, 95[percnt] CI, 1.31-5.81; p=0.0073). Using the TOAST criteria for the IS subtypes were: Large vessel disease 6[percnt], cardioembolic 18[percnt], small vessel disease 21[percnt], other known etiologies 49[percnt] (hypercoagulable state; watershed; others and cryptogenic in 6[percnt]. Following a stroke, 78[percnt] were discharged home or rehabilitation facility, 4[percnt] to a long-term nursing facility and in hospital mortality was 15[percnt]. Conclusion: In multiple myeloma,patient’s renal insufficiency and MM Stage I and II were independent predictors of increased stroke risk. Besides these hypercoagulability, atrial fibrillation, watershed strokes and small vessel disease played important role. Disclosure: Dr. Limaye has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ravilla has nothing to disclose. Dr. Appalnaidu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Papanikolaou has nothing to disclose. Dr. Waheed has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hinduja has nothing to disclose.
Putting the Deep Biosphere and Gas Hydrates on the Map

ABSTRACT Microbial processes in the deep biosphere affect marine sediments, such as the formation of gas hydrate deposits. Gas hydrate deposits offer a large source of natural gas with the potential to augment energy reserves and affect climate and seafloor stability. Despite the significant interdependence between life and geology in the ocean, coverage of the deep biosphere is generally missing in most introductory oceanography textbooks, so there is a need for instructional materials on this important topic. In response to this need, a course module on the deep biosphere with a focus on gas hydrate deposits was created. The module uses Google Earth (Google, Mountain View, CA) to support inquiry-based activities that demonstrate the interaction of the deep biosphere with geology. The module was tried as both a series of in-class exercises and as an out-of-class assignment in an introductory, undergraduate oceanography course. The students took short, preactivity and postactivity quizzes to determine the...
Diversity encouraged learning of unsupervised LSTM ensemble for neural activity video prediction.

Being able to predict the neural signal in the near future from the current and previous observations has the potential to enable real-time responsive brain stimulation to suppress seizures. We have investigated how to use an auto-encoder model consisting of LSTM cells for such prediction. Recog- nizing that there exist multiple activity pattern clusters, we have further explored to train an ensemble of LSTM mod- els so that each model can specialize in modeling certain neural activities, without explicitly clustering the training data. We train the ensemble using an ensemble-awareness loss, which jointly solves the model assignment problem and the error minimization problem. During training, for each training sequence, only the model that has the lowest recon- struction and prediction error is updated. Intrinsically such a loss function enables each LTSM model to be adapted to a subset of the training sequences that share similar dynamic behavior. We demonstrate this can be trained in an end- to-end manner and achieve significant accuracy in neural activity prediction.
Quickest search for local structures in line networks

A large network of agents in which each agent generates one random variable is considered. The random variables generated by an unknown subset of nodes form a correlation structure, while the remaining nodes generate independent and identically distributed random variables. This paper formalizes and analyzes the quickest search strategy, the goal of which is to identify the unknown subset of correlated nodes with the fewest number of measurements. Despite its widespread applications, the problem of identifying subnetworks with such desired correlation structures is often investigated under the fixed sample-size setting, in which the data acquisition process and the inferential mechanisms are decoupled. Motivated by the significant advantages of sequential detection for agile inference, this paper analyzes this problem under a fully sequential setting. Specifically, it formalizes a framework that incorporates the intertwined processes of data-adaptive information gathering and decision making. Additionally, through a constructive proof, it also offers an optimal sequential data-gathering process as well as the attendant decision rules for identifying a structured subnetwork of interest in a given line network.
Gradient acoustic information induces long-lasting referential uncertainty in short discourses

ABSTRACTThree experiments examined the influence of gradient acoustic information on referential interpretation during spoken language processing and how this influence persists over time. Acoustic continua varying between the pronouns “he” and “she” were created and validated in two offline experiments. A third experiment examined whether these acoustic differences influence online pronoun interpretation, and whether this influence persists across words in a discourse. Measures of eye gaze showed immediate sensitivity to graded acoustic information. Moreover, acoustically induced uncertainty persisted across a five-word delay: When listeners encountered a word that disambiguated the referent of the pronoun differently than it had originally been interpreted, the amount of time they took to recover from an initial misinterpretation was directly related to distance along the acoustic continuum between the pronoun and the endpoint corresponding to the correct referent. These findings show that fine-grained ...
Custom 3D printer and resin for 18 μm × 20 μm microfluidic flow channels

While there is great interest in 3D printing for microfluidic device fabrication, to-date the achieved feature sizes have not been in the truly microfluidic regime (<100 μm). In this paper we demonstrate that a custom digital light processor stereolithographic (DLP-SLA) 3D printer and a specifically-designed, low cost, custom resin can readily achieve flow channel cross sections as small as 18 μm × 20 μm. Our 3D printer has a projected image plane resolution of 7.6 μm and uses a 385 nm LED, which dramatically increases the available selection of UV absorbers for resin formulation compared to 3D printers with 405 nm LEDs. Beginning with 20 candidate absorbers, we demonstrate the evaluation criteria and process flow required to develop a high-resolution resin. In doing so, we introduce a new mathematical model for characterizing the resin optical penetration depth based only on measurement of the absorber's molar absorptivity. Our final resin formulation uses 2-nitrophenyl phenyl sulfide (NPS) as the UV absorber. We also develop a novel channel narrowing technique that, together with the new resin and 3D printer resolution, enables small flow channel fabrication. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by fabricating 3D serpentine flow channels 41 mm long in a volume of only 0.12 mm3, and by printing high aspect ratio flow channels <25 μm wide and 3 mm tall. These results indicate that 3D printing is finally positioned to challenge the pre-eminence of methods such as soft lithography for microfluidic device prototyping and fabrication.
An attempt to condition components of urine formation in dogs.

Previous research on the renal conditional reflex (CR) has resulted in contradictory data. The work of Bykov with dogs and of Hoferet al. with humans indicated that a renal CR is possible, but the experiments of Corsonet al. and Watt and Gantt with dogs having normal or transplanted cervical kidneys showed no clear-cut renal CR’s. The present work supports the latter finding.
Short sleep is associated with more depressive symptoms in a multi-ethnic cohort of older adults.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate cross-sectional and prospective associations between short and long sleep duration and depressive symptoms in older adults (aged >65 years). Methods The data from a subsample of the racially/ethnically diverse Northern Manhattan Study were analyzed. Depressive symptoms were assessed twice with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), approximately 5 years apart. The presence of depressive symptoms was defined as a CES-D score ≥16 or use of antidepressants. Self-reports of short ( Results The initial sample consisted of 1110 participants: 62% women, 69% Hispanic, 17% black, 14% white. Short sleep was reported by 25%, intermediate sleep by 65%, and long sleep by 9%. Depressive symptoms were described in 25% of the initial sample. Short sleep, but not long sleep, was associated with depressive symptoms at baseline (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.6), and at follow-up (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.5; median follow-up = 5.1 years). Conclusion Short sleep duration had a cross-sectional and prospective association with depressive symptoms in an urban multi-ethnic cohort of older adults.
Schistosomiasis: Napoleon, Snails and Stalemate Across the Taiwan Straits

Parasitologists are very lucky that the ancient Egyptians practiced mummification. Think about it—apart from written records, we know very little about the epidemiology of diseases in ancient times: where they occurred, who were infected, how many were infected, were certain occupations at higher risk of infection, were men more likely to be infected than women, children more than adults? Moreover recorded histories were usually about kings and pharaohs, and they were written to glorify their conquests and victories, and precious stone tablets and papyrus were usually not wasted on recording the lives of ordinary farmers, household servants, carpenters and bakers. We can thus be grateful that the funerary practice of preserving the dead as mummies, among even the moderately wealthy inhabitants of ancient Egypt, provided objective records that answer many of the questions asked about at least one disease—schistosomiasis. Fortunately, the poor of ancient Egypt also bury their dead in shallow graves in the desert, where the high temperatures and dry air rapidly desiccated and preserved much of the corpses’ organs and tissues by natural mummification. Therefore we can learn a lot about schistosomiasis in the entire social spectrum of society during ancient times.
Degenerative disorders of the cervical spine

Magnetic resonance imaging is the study of choice in patients with suspected degenerative discogenic disease. It is a sensitive diagnostic modality offering multiplanar imaging capability and excellent soft-tissue and spatial resolution without ionizing radiation. Physiologic information, primarily relating to water content, is provided as is a myelographic effect, without the risks of intrathecal contrast. Computed tomography remains a valuable adjunct in those patients with extensive bony degenerative changes.
Multicomponent Models in Body Composition Research: Opportunities and Pitfalls

The opportunities for multicomponent models have increased recently because of the development of new methodologies including dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), total body electrical conductivity, neutron activation analysis and bioelectric impedance along with the traditional measures of body water, potassium and density. The need for valid multicomponent body composition approaches has arisen because of the failure of the two-component model, i.e., fat and fat-free body (FFB), to yield accurate estimates of body composition both within and among various populations. Without valid two-component approaches, the field of body composition has lacked a criterion method by which to validate new body composition methods. With the development of valid and precise multicomponent approaches, reference fat-free body compositions can be established for various populations, changes in body composition with growth and aging can be more accurately assessed, and the effect of dietary and exercise programs can be quantified on various body components. The pitfalls of various multicomponent body composition approaches now in use arise from theoretical, methodological and statistical considerations. It is the purpose of this paper to review present limitations in various multicomponent body composition approaches and to develop a set of guidelines to foster valid multicomponent systems.
Thermodynamic properties of non-stoichiometric thorium monocarbide

Abstract Thermodynamic information on nonstoichiometric thorium monocarbide was obtained from measurements on solid electrochemical cells. The cells were of the type Th, ThF4 | CaF2 | ThF4, ThC1−x. Measurements were made at temperatures of 800–950°C. Partial molar free energies of thorium and carbon were calculated from the data. The monocarbide phase was found to be stable from a composition of ThC0·66 to ThC0·96 from measurements of the variation of lattice parameter with composition. The results are discussed in connection with theories of chemical bonding which have been proposed for transition metal and actinide metal carbides. A qualitative picture of the bonding in nonstoichiometric thorium carbide is presented in which it is assumed that thorium and carbon form covalent bonds which increase in strength when some of the carbon is removed from the lattice.
Most Attacks Are Targeted

Over the past several years, a number of industries have been targeted in attacks seeking to steal intellectual property from large multinational companies, nonprofits, and governments. Some of these attacks have targeted everything from large defense firms to small law firms. These targeted attacks often leverage spear phishing for the initial breach. The attackers then use the footholds gained in the initial attack to further penetrate the organization to steal privilege and confidential data and intellectual property. Attackers are better funded and better staffed than more of the organizations being targeted, and they are getting around traditional network defenses like firewall and antivirus by using spear phishing and other social engineering attacks. The best defense against spear phishing and other social engineering attacks is a security awareness program.
Management of the Microphthalmic Orbit

Anophthalmia and microphthalmia refer to a spectrum of congenital ocular abnormalities ranging from total absence of an eye to a small eye with varying degrees of visual function. In recent years, along with a better understanding of the genetic basis of these anomalies, there has been a revolution in management options for managing these challenging problems. In the following chapter, the use of hydrogel expanders will be emphasized as well as the need for an additional focus on managing associated adnexal problems which can also have importance from both a functional as well as an appearance perspective.
Total Ionizing Dose Effects and Proton-Induced Displacement Damage on MoS 2 -Interlayer-MoS 2 Tunneling Junctions

Tunneling-dominated charge transport is demonstrated in vertically stacked MoS2/interlayer/MoS2 heterostructures with Al2O3, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and HfO2 dielectrics. All devices are highly resistant to 10-keV X-ray irradiation. Only small transient changes in X-ray-induced photocurrent are observed as a result of trap creation in the thin interlayer dielectric, with rapid passivation. Samples with Al2O3 and h-BN interlayer dielectrics show significant increases in conduction current during proton irradiation, due to displacement-damage-induced defects that lower the effective tunnel-barrier height. Density-functional-theory calculations provide insights into the pertinent defects. Devices with HfO2 interlayer dielectrics show great promise for use in radiation tolerant, ultimately scaled tunnel FETs.
Addressing the opioid crisis: An assessment of clinicians' training experience, practices, and attitudes within a large healthcare organization.

Objective: To assess provider practices and attitudes toward addiction care and pain management within a large healthcare system, as well as to determine the impact of prior training and perceived effectiveness of organizational implementation strategies. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Large healthcare organization comprising 21 hospitals. Participants: Three hundred and thirteen healthcare providers within a large healthcare organization. Main outcome measures: Training, practices, and attitudes toward opioid-related care. Methods: One thousand providers including physicians (MD/DO) and physician extenders (NP/PA) were contacted via email request. The Mann-Whitney test or Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate, was used for comparisons of continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Results: Providers lacked prior pain management (36 percent), addiction (38 percent), or buprenorphine training (92 percent). Few providers were confident in treating opioid use disorders (OUD) (19 percent) and opioid tapering (24 percent) but interested in safe prescribing practices (81 percent). While most providers preferred to refer patients for OUD (89 percent), only a small portion felt appropriate services were readily available (22 percent). Trained providers appear significantly more engaged in checking Prescription Drug Monitoring Program database [median = 1 (Q1 = 1, Q3 = 2) vs 2(1, 3); p < 0.001], comfortable obtaining urine drug screens [2(2, 3) vs 3(2, 4); p < 0.002], and willing to treat OUD with additional support [3(2, 4) vs 4(3, 4); p < 0.022] compared to non-trained providers. Primary care providers were more likely to view OUDs in their scope of practice [4(2, 5) vs 4(3, 5); p < 0.016] and willing to treat OUD with additional support [3(2, 3) vs 3(2, 4); p < 0.0007] compared to specialists. Buprenorphine providers appear to have more confidence in skills for OUD [2(1, 3) vs 4(3, 4); p < 0.0001] and tapering [2(1, 2) vs 4(3, 5); p < 0.0001], and diminished preference to refer [2(1, 5) vs 1(1, 2); p < 0.0009] compared to non-buprenorphine providers. Conclusions: Providers within a large healthcare system lack training and confidence in management of opioid-related care. Buprenorphine training positively modified key attitudes toward addiction care, yet engagement in medication-assisted treatment remains limited. Providers are concerned about opioid risks, and view guideline implementation and direct input from addiction specialists as effective organizational strategies. Further research is needed to clarify the efficacy of such approaches.
Central Nervous System Correlates of “Objective” Neuropathy in Alcohol Use Disorder

Background Among the neurological consequences of alcoholism is peripheral neuropathy. Relative to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or diabetes-related neuropathies, neuropathy associated with alcohol use disorders (AUD) is understudied. In both the diabetes and HIV literature, emerging evidence supports a central nervous system (CNS) component to peripheral neuropathy. Methods In seeking a central substrate for AUD-related neuropathy, the current study was conducted in 154 individuals with AUD (43 women, age 21 to 74 years) and 99 healthy controls (41 women, age 21 to 77 years) and explored subjective symptoms (self-report) and objective signs (perception of vibration, deep tendon ankle reflex, position sense, 2-point discrimination) of neuropathy separately. In addition to regional brain volumes, risk factors for AUD-related neuropathy, including age, sex, total lifetime ethanol consumed, nutritional indices (i.e., thiamine, folate), and measures of liver integrity (i.e., γ-glutamyltransferase), were evaluated. Results The AUD group described more subjective symptoms of neuropathy and was more frequently impaired on bilateral perception of vibration. From 5 correlates, the number of AUD-related seizures was most significantly associated with subjective symptoms of neuropathy. There were 15 correlates of impaired perception of vibration among the AUD participants: Of these, age and volume of frontal precentral cortex were the most robust predictors. Conclusions This study supports CNS involvement in objective signs of neuropathy in AUD.
Venereal Transmission of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus by Culicoides sonorensis Midges.

Culicoides sonorensis biting midges are well-known agricultural pests and transmission vectors of arboviruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). The epidemiology of VSV is complex and encompasses a broad range of vertebrate hosts, multiple routes of transmission, and diverse vector species. In temperate regions, viruses can overwinter in the absence of infected animals through unknown mechanisms, to reoccur the next year. Non-conventional routes for VSV vector transmission may help explain viral maintenance in midge populations during inter-epidemic periods and times of adverse conditions for bite transmission. In this study, we examined whether VSV could be transmitted venereally between male and female midges. Our results showed that VSV-infected females could venereally transmit virus to uninfected naive males at a rate as high as 76.3% (RT-qPCR), 31.6% (virus isolation) during the third gonotrophic cycle. Additionally, VSV-infected males could venereally transmit virus to uninfected naive females at a rate as high as 76.6% (RT-qPCR), 49.2% (virus isolation). Immunofluorescent staining of micro-dissected reproductive organs, immunochemical staining of midge histological sections, examination of internal reproductive organ morphology, and observations of mating behaviors were used to determine relevant anatomical sites for virus location and to hypothesize the potential mechanism for VSV transmission in C. sonorensis midges through copulation.
ERBB2 Targeting Increases Cardiomyocyte β1-Adrenergic Receptor Density

Objective: To determine the underlying pathways that promote cardiotoxicity following anti-ERBB2 cancer therapeutics. Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (EGFR2/ERBB2) is a member of EGFR (ERBB) family represented by ERBB 1 through 4 that either homo- or hetero-dimerize to signal. ERBB2 has constitutively active confirmation but explicitly needs to hetero-dimerize with either ERBB1 or ERBB4 to mediate signaling and cardiac hypertrophy. Less is known about the mechanisms through which ERBB2 mediates the adaptive cardiac hypertrophy given that anti-ERBB2 therapeutics results in cardiac dilation of the otherwise healthy heart. Methods: We generated transgenic (Tg) mice with cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of microRNA-7 (miRNA-7) that targets ERBB2. Echocardiography, immunohistochemistry and β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) density were assessed upon aging and transverse aortic constriction (TAC). To determine whether inhibition of ERBB2 has similar outcomes, C57Bl/6 mice were administered ERBB2-specific inhibitor AG825. Also, βAR density was assessed in end-stage human heart failure patient samples with Adriamycin cardiotoxicity. Results: Loss in ERBB2 expression due to miRNA-7 targeting or ERRB2 inhibition by AG 825 results in cardiac dilation. Loss of ERBB2 in miRNA-7 Tg mice leads to increased fibrosis post-TAC. Selective significant increase in β1AR density is observed in miRNA-7 Tg mice or in mice following ERBB2 inhibition by AG825 and in the human heart failure patient samples due to Adriamycin cardiotoxicity. Conclusions: Cardiomyocyte ERBB2 expression and function is required for maintaining the normal cardiac function. Targeting ERBB2 leads to selective and significant increase in β1ARs that may promote cardiac dilation and heart failure.
Geo-registering UAV-captured close-range images to GIS-based spatial model for building façade inspections

Abstract There is a growing trend in the application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems for visual inspection of building facades. Current practices remain at a low efficiency to manage the large amount of UAV-collected close-range facade images to support the inspection and documentation of facade anomalies such as cracks and corrosions. This paper proposes a GIS-based two-step procedure to streamline the process of the management of UAV-collected images for supporting building facade inspection. First, a 2D GIS spatial model of building facades is created by net-unfolding facade surfaces around the building footprint in GIS to store the geometric and geographic information of building facades. Then, the UAV-collected images are automatically geo-registered to the 2D GIS spatial model through computer vision techniques applied in GIS. An experimental case study is also presented to demonstrate the process and evaluate the performance of the proposed method. It is demonstrated that the GIS-based spatial model of net-unfolded building facades allows for an efficient and effective registration of UAV-captured close-range facade images without apparent loss of pixel data. Provided with image data processing capabilities to detect and assess facade anomalies, the proposed GIS-based workflow can contribute to an automated documentation of UAV-based facade inspections to support the decision-making of further maintenance actions.
The extent of colorectal resection and short-term outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis

There is limited literature on the impact of the extent of resection on short-term outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in an elective setting. The aim of this study was to better understand the impact of approach and extent of resection on short-term outcomes for patients undergoing total proctocolectomy (TPC) and subtotal colectomy (STC) for UC. Patients with UC who underwent elective TPC or STC were captured from the ACS-NSQIP® 2011–2018 database and divided into four cohorts: Open TPC (O-TPC), Laparoscopic TPC (L-STC), Open STC (O-STC), and Laparoscopic STC (L-STC). Baseline and perioperative variables were compared between the four groups alongside 30-day mortality and 30-day complication rates. Of 3387 patients, 368 (10.9%) underwent O-STC, 406 (12%) underwent O-TPC, 1958 (58%) underwent L-STC, and 655 (19%) underwent L-TPC. Overall rate of prolonged length of stay (LOS) was 27% and 9% needed a blood transfusion. There was no difference in the risk of complications between open TPC and open STC. Those who had open surgery had a higher risk of complications and prolonged LOS. Patients who had L-TPC had prolonged LOS compared to patients who had L-STC, but less compared to those who had O-STC. Elective surgery for UC is associated with high rates of prolonged LOS and blood transfusion despite MIS approaches. Short-term outcomes and LOS are more impacted by the operative approach than the extent of resection. Despite this laparoscopic TPC has higher rates of prolonged LOS when compared to laparoscopic STC.
Characterizing relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis patients burdened with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and asthma.

Abstract Background Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and asthma are common in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and adversely impact physical and mental health independent of sociodemographic and clinical attributes. Characterizing MS patients with these comorbidities is necessary for informing comorbidity screening and managed care in vulnerable patient subgroups; however, there is sparse data currently available. Methods We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 2,012 relapsing remitting (RR) MS patients. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were conducted for the presence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and asthma. Independent variables included age, sex, race, MS duration, body mass index classification, insurance payer, smoking status, median income by residence ZIP code, disease modifying therapies, and the other comorbidities. Results Hypertension was more common in RRMS patients who were older, obese/severely obese, had hyperlipidemia, were asthmatics, living in neighborhoods with the lowest income, and who were Black Americans. RRMS patients with hyperlipidemia were more likely to be male, older, overweight/obese/severely obese, hypertensive, asthmatics, and White American. Asthmatic RRMS patients were more likely to be female, obese, hypertensive, and living in neighborhood of medium/low income, and less likely to be on interferons or glatiramer acetate. Conclusion We identified factors independently associated with common comorbidity burden in RRMS patients, which will inform risk-stratification efforts aimed at mitigating the adverse impact of these conditions in MS patients. Our results are consistent with what is known about the determinants of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and asthma in the non-MS patient population, and therefore disparities that exist in screening and management in the general U.S. population may likely exist in U.S. MS patients. It is also possible that there may be unique differences in specific MS patient subgroups, which warrants further investigation and detailed characterization.
Acceptability and Feasibility of Collecting Sexual Orientation and Expanded Gender Identity Data in Urology and Oncology Clinics.

Purpose: We evaluated the acceptability and feasibility of collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data in oncology and urology clinical settings. Methods: We surveyed 101 urology ...
Location and Dispersion Analysis

Material scientists have discovered that certain properties of a composite, for instance, the strength, conductivity or transparency, can be remarkably enhanced by blending nanoparticles into the host materials. The resulting improvement in material properties is believed to depend, to a large degree, on how uniformly nanoparticles are mixed into the host materials. This calls for data science methods to quantify the homogeneity of nanoparticles mixing state, also referred to the location and dispersion analysis of nanoparticles in a host material. This chapter covers two methods of quantifying the mixing state: the count-based approaches such as the quadrat method and the distance-based approaches such as Ripley’s K function. Aware that the real materials are 3D while the current nano images are mostly 2D, the last section of the chapter is dedicated to the discussion on the 2D-to-3D inference. We want to note that the importance of material mixing applies not only to nanoparticle-embedded materials but also to other types of material mixing involving a host and additive or reinforcing agents, endowing the methods discussed in this chapter with broader impacts beyond nanomaterials.
Cost-effective Analysis of Subcutaneous vs Sublingual Immunotherapy From the Payor's Perspective.

ObjectiveCompare the cost-effectiveness of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and aqueous sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) as treatment modalities for adult patients with allergic rhinitis and conjun...
Trisomy: Chromosome competition or maternal strategy?: Increase of trisomy incidence with increasing maternal age does not result from competition between chromosomes

Axelrod and Hamilton (Science 211:1390, 1981) suggested that trisomies may result from an end-game strategy between chromosomes competing to get on the gamete as the mother approaches menopause. We tested this hypothesis by reviewing studies of the parental origin of the extra chromosome in trisomy 21 births. These data show that there is no significant rise in trisomy 21 conceptions as the mother ages. The increase in trisomies with maternal age results not from an increase in nondisjunctions, but from a decrease in rejection of trisomy zygotes, which may be adaptive for the mother towards the end of her reproductive life. This decreasing rate of rejection may result from the changing inclusive benefits of two maternal strategies as menopause approaches.
Distributed data mining protocols for privacy: a review of some recent results

With the rapid advance of the Internet, a large amount of sensitive data is collected, stored, and processed by different parties. Data mining is a powerful tool that can extract knowledge from large amounts of data. Generally, data mining requires that data be collected into a central site. However, privacy concerns may prevent different parties from sharing their data with others. Cryptography provides extremely powerful tools which enable data sharing while protecting data privacy. In this paper, we briefly survey four recently proposed cryptographic techniques for protecting data privacy in distributed settings. First, we describe a privacy-preserving technique for learning Bayesian networks from a dataset vertically partitioned between two parties. Then, we describe three privacy-preserving data mining techniques in a fully distributed setting where each customer holds a single data record of the database.
Two-stage index computation for bandits with switching penalties II: switching delays

This paper addresses the multi-armed bandit problem with switching penalties including both costs and delays, extending results of the companion paper [J. Nino-Mora. "Two-Stage Index Computation for Bandits with Switching Penalties I: Switching Costs". Conditionally accepted at INFORMS J. Comp.], which addressed the no switching delays case. Asawa and Teneketzis (1996) introduced an index for bandits with delays that partly characterizes optimal policies, attaching to each bandit state a "continuation index" (its Gittins index) and a "switching index", yet gave no algorithm for it. This paper presents an efficient, decoupled computation method, which in a first stage computes the continuation index and then, in a second stage, computes the switching index an order of magnitude faster in at most (5/2)n^3+O(n) arithmetic operations for an n -state bandit. The paper exploits the fact that the Asawa and Teneketzis index is the Whittle, or marginal productivity, index of a classic bandit with switching penalties in its semi- Markov restless reformulation, by deploying work-reward analysis and LP-indexability methods introduced by the author. A computational study demonstrates the dramatic runtime savings achieved by the new algorithm, the near-optimality of the index policy, and its substantial gains against a benchmark index policy across a wide instance range.
Intersection tests for single marker QTL analysis can be more powerful than two marker QTL analysis.

Background It has been reported in the quantitative trait locus (QTL) literature that when testing for QTL location and effect, the statistical power supporting methodologies based on two markers and their estimated genetic map is higher than for the genetic map independent methodologies known as single marker analyses. Close examination of these reports reveals that the two marker approaches are more powerful than single marker analyses only in certain cases. Simulation studies are a commonly used tool to determine the behavior of test statistics under known conditions. We conducted a simulation study to assess the general behavior of an intersection test and a two marker test under a variety of conditions. The study was designed to reveal whether two marker tests are always more powerful than intersection tests, or whether there are cases when an intersection test may outperform the two marker approach. We present a reanalysis of a data set from a QTL study of ovariole number in Drosophila melanogaster.
Closing the Community Deficit in the EU

This paper argues that the main challenge currently facing the EU is a community deficit: the low valuation the majority of its citizens accord the evolving collectivity. To deal with this community deficit, the author, Amitai Etzioni, warns that the EU must either introduce strong measures of community building or else significantly scale back its plans for collective action.He first cites illustrative data to show that there is a considerable level of disaffection from the EU project and the EU institutions and then turns to examine the first set of measures needed to reduce the strain on the EU by scaling back for the near future those provisions that alienate many citizens. He then introduces a second set of measures that are needed to build up citizens' commitment to the EU, by fostering public dialogue, developing a common European media and language, and holding EU-wide election.