cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observation of Clinical Effect of Aluminum Phosphate Gel in Treatment of Children with Acute Diarrhea

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of aluminum phosphate gel in the treatment of children with acute diarrhea.Methods 260 cases of children with acute diarrhea admitted to our hospital from July 2013 to August 2014 were selected as research objects and randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 130 cases in each group. The control group was given with symptomatic treatment, the observation group was treated with aluminum phosphate gel on the basis of symptomatic treatment. The clinical effect, alleviation time of diarrhea, fever, dehydration and emesis were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of the observation group was 95.38%, significantly higher than 73.08% of the control group, with statistical difference(P 0.05). The alleviation time of diarrhea, fever, dehydration and emesis in the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group,with statistical difference(P 0.05). Conclusions For children with acute diarrhea, aluminum phosphate gel on the basis of conventional medicine can improve the therapeutic effect, shorten the response time and promote the long-term prognosis of patients.
Simultaneous Quantification of t(14;18) and HPRT Exon 2/3 Deletions in Human Lymphocytes

Specific recurring chromosomal translocations and deletions are found in a variety of cancers. In hematopoietic malignancies, many of these chromosomal aberrations result from mistakes involving V(D)J recombination. V(D)J recombination is required for the formation of functional T-cell receptor genes in T-cells and antibody genes in B-cells. This is an inherently dangerous process, however, because double-strand breaks are introduced into the chromosomes. Molecular evidence indicates that failure of the fidelity of this process results in the activation of proto-oncogenes or the inactivation of tumor-suppressor genes. Here we describe sensitive, quantitative PCR assays for the measurement of such events in human lymphocytes. One assay measures the frequency of t(14;18) translocations that result in the dysfunctional regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2. The other assay measures the frequency of a deletion caused by illegitimate V(D)J recombination in the X-linked HPRT gene. The findings and conclusions presented in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the Food and Drug Administration.
Chemical Waste and Allied Products

This paper reviews the related literature reported in 2019 about various types of wastewaters associated with chemical and allied products. The subjects comprise wastewaters produced from various activities in agricultural, chemical, dye, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Bioflocculant chitosan was used for sludge dewatering and the treatment of water and wastewater, and polishing of sanitary landfill leachate. Alkaline lignin-based flocculants were used to achieve excellent color removal for paper mill sludge. Powdered activated coke was used to remove COD (chemical oxygen demand) from chemical industry wastewater effluents.
Spatiotemporal Analytics of Topic Trajectory

Spatially and temporally relevant text data generated on the Internet by users worldwide is of great value for investigating and understanding emerging trends of user interests and how they may evolve over time and space. However, exploring the spatiotemporal text data and characterizing the evolution of topics over time and space are challenging due to the complexity of such data and associated activities. This paper proposes a new approach to exploring the spatiotemporal text data with visual filters. We introduce a notion of topic trajectory to depict the spatiotemporal evolution of topics. Multiple coordinated visualizations provided in our visualization system enable users to explore topic trajectories and develop their contextual awareness in terms of how information flows across different regions. We demonstrate the use of our system with an analysis of a dataset contributed by users of widely used science mapping software CiteSpace.
Synthesis of pH-Responsive Lignin-Based Nanocapsules for Controlled Release of Hydrophobic Molecules

Lignin-based pH-responsive nanocapsules were successfully fabricated via an interfacial miniemulsion polymerization. Lignin was first grafted with allyl groups through etherification and further dispersed in an oil-in-water (O/W) miniemulsion system via ultrasonication. Then allyl-functionalized lignin was reacted with a thiol-based cross-linking agent in the interfaces of miniemulsion droplets to form nanocapsules via a thiol–ene radical reaction. The FTIR and 1H NMR spectra indicated the successful grafting of allyl groups on lignin. TEM images showed that lignin nanocapsules had particle sizes ranging from 50 to 300 nm. These newly synthesized nanocapsules could be readily loaded with hydrophobic coumarin-6 during the preparation of a miniemulsion system with 0.713 mmol/g entrapment efficiency. Moreover, the release of encapsulated coumarin-6 could be controlled by varying pH in the solution due to the existence of acid-labile β-thiopropionate cross-linkages in the capsule shell. An approximately linea...
Policy Perspectives and Recommendations

The preceding analyses as well as additional considerations discussed below have important policy implications regarding (I) construction of allocation formulas, (II) data quality, and (III) needed research. These implications are discussed and recommendations are made (§7.l–§7.9).
The Role of Self-congruity in Chinese Young Consumers’ Brand Evaluation and Brand Loyaltytowards Sportswear Brands

Chinese market for sportswear is by far the second largest market in the world just after United States (Euromonitor International, 2013). In the Chinese sportswear market, international brands including Nike, Adidas, Kappa, Puma, and FILA dominate the high-end market. Chinese domestic brands like Li-Ning, Anta and Peak occupy the medium and low-end sportswear market (Research and Market, 2012).
Does 3D really make sense for visual cluster analysis? yes!

Our paper takes the stance that a 3D shaded display can add a significant amount of information to the visualization of high-dimensional data. We believe that it makes better use of the innate cognitive capabilities of the human visual system which is highly optimized to recognize and reason with 3D shape information. As a first step we studied a variety of real-world datasets and confirmed that the extension from the traditional 2D space to 3D space is indeed justified — most datasets we studied had clusters residing in subspaces with more than two significant principal components. We then describe an interactive interface that allows users to navigate these 3D subspaces, expand the exploration to higher dimensionalities, and also transition among the distinct subspaces inhabited by different clusters in the data.
Chemical Oxidation for Clean Up of Contaminated Ground Water

Contamination of soil and ground water by organic chemicals is a widespread problem across the U.S. and around the world. At sites where organic chemicals are present in the form of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), clean up of contaminated ground water has been extremely difficult and costly; conventional ground water pumping and treatment approaches have commonly failed to achieve clean up goals. Major research and development efforts have been directed at finding alternative remedies that can clean up ground water and eliminate risks or reduce them to an acceptable level. Recent efforts have increasingly focused on source zone treatment of DNAPL contamination to reduce the volume and mass of DNAPLs available for dis- solution into ground water. A variety of in situ technologies have been developed and demonstrated, including in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO). ISCO involves the delivery of chemical oxidants into the subsurface to destroy organic chemicals (e.g., chlorinated organic solvents or fuels) and thereby remediate a site to a risk-based clean up goal. ISCO can feasibly be implemented alone to
Pancreatic lymphoma complicating early stage chronic hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has also been associated with many extrahepatic manifestations including the development of B-cell non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma (NHL). Primary pancreatic lymphoma is very rare and comprises 2.2% of NHL and 4.9% of all pancreatic malignancies. Our patient was a woman with a history of infection with HCV found to have a mass in the head of the pancreas. Biopsy of the mass revealed a high-grade B-cell lymphoma consistent with Burkitt9s lymphoma. Our case reflects a need to initiate antiviral therapy for all patients infected with HCV even in early stages of fibrosis to prevent cirrhosis and other extrahepatic manifestations of infection with HCV.
Generation of vector partially coherent optical sources using phase-only spatial light modulators

Partially coherent beams (PCBs) of light can be highly directional, as from lasers, yet resistant to speckle and scintillation, as from LEDs. Generating PCBs with separate optical components for beam shaping and spatial coherence is complicated, and fundamentally limited. The authors control both shape and coherence using liquid-crystal spatial light modulators, and can produce two different classes of PCBs using the same simple optical setup. This work is immediately applicable in such diverse fields as medicine, directed energy, free-space optical communication, and manufacturing.
The impact of water temperature on absolute dose calibration of photon beams

The Task Group (TG) 51 protocol prescribes that dose calibration of photon beams be done by irradiating an ionization chamber in a water tank at pre-defined depths. Methodologies are provided to account for variations in measurement conditions by applying correction factors. However, the protocol does not completely account for the impact of water temperature. It is well established that water temperature will influence the density of air in the ion chamber collecting volume. The temperature, however, will also influence the size of the collecting volume via thermal expansion of the cavity wall, and the density of water. In this work the overall effect of water temperature on absolute dosimetry has been investigated. Dose measurements were made using a Farmer-type ion chamber for 6 and 23 MV photon beams with water temperatures ranging from 10 °C to 40 °C. A reference chamber was used to account for fluctuations in beam output between successive measurements. For the same beam output, the dose at the depth of calibration, determined using TG 51, was found to be dependent on the temperature of the water in the tank. The dose for both photon energies studied followed a similar trend reaching a maximum around 26 °C. For the 6 MV beam, the dose was found to increase 0.7% from 10 °C to 26 °C and then decrease 0.18% from 26 °C to 40 °C. Similarly, for the 23 MV beam the dose increased 0.95% from 10 °C to 26 °C and then decreased 1.25% from 26 °C to 40 °C. There is a measurable effect of water temperature on absolute dose calibration. To account for this effect, a reference temperature can be defined and a correction factor applied to account for deviations from this reference temperature during beam calibration. Such a factor is expected to be of similar magnitude to most of the existing TG 51 correction factors.
Model Ensemble for Click Prediction in Bing Search Ads

Accurate estimation of the click-through rate (CTR) in sponsored ads significantly impacts the user search experience and businesses' revenue, even 0.1% of accuracy improvement would yield greater earnings in the hundreds of millions of dollars. CTR prediction is generally formulated as a supervised classification problem. In this paper, we share our experience and learning on model ensemble design and our innovation. Specifically, we present 8 ensemble methods and evaluate them on our production data. Boosting neural networks with gradient boosting decision trees turns out to be the best. With larger training data, there is a nearly 0.9% AUC improvement in offline testing and significant click yield gains in online traffic. In addition, we share our experience and learning on improving the quality of training.
What is Structuralism

This paper concerns structuralism as a philosophy of mathematics. Because I must be brief, I will confine myself to raising questions and sketching some tentative answers.
Photonics for aerospace sensors

The maturation in the state-of-the-art of optical components is enabling increased applications for the technology. Most notable is the ever-expanding market for fiber optic data and communications links, familiar in both commercial and military markets. The inherent properties of optics and photonics, however, have suggested that components and processors may be designed that offer advantages over more commonly considered digital approaches for a variety of airborne sensor and signal processing applications. Various academic, industrial, and governmental research groups have been actively investigating and exploiting these properties of high bandwidth, large degree of parallelism in computation (e.g., processing in parallel over a two-dimensional field), and interconnectivity, and have succeeded in advancing the technology to the stage of systems demonstration. Such advantages as computational throughput and low operating power consumption are highly attractive for many computationally intensive problems. This review covers the key devices necessary for optical signal and image processors, some of the system application demonstration programs currently in progress, and active research directions for the implementation of next-generation architectures.
Video quality assessment for inter-vehicular streaming with IEEE 802.11p, LTE, and LTE Direct networks over fading channels

Abstract Availability of real time video streams capturing surrounding road conditions can not only aid automobile drivers and autonomous vehicles, they can also enhance road safety and improve traffic efficiency. However, provisioning of such services is challenging due to the harsh operational environments and stringent resource requirements of the applications. Nevertheless, radio access technologies like IEEE 802.11p, LTE, and LTE Direct have provisions for supporting real time streams for inter-vehicular communications. In this paper, we present an emulation-based study to demonstrate to what extent these networks are able to sustain real-time video streaming for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. We model highways and congested urban road scenarios using Ricean and Rayleigh fading channel models respectively, that closely mimic the real-life environment. We use H.264 codec for transcoding 360p and 480p videos at the sender vehicle, and then stream the transport segments over a real-time transport protocol. The quality of the video received at the target vehicle is assessed using two metrics: PSNR and SSIM. The emulation is done for varying encoding rates, relative speeds between vehicles, and inter-vehicular distances. We also find the link layer throughput that these networks can support. The results reveal that LTE Direct performs better than 802.11p, which in turn performs better than LTE. This study also provides insights into how to configure the radio and network parameters for delivering streaming services to vehicular networks.
Minimum Phase Estimation

We shall in this section consider the asymptotic behavior of parameter estimates in the case of one-dimensional minimum phase ARMA schemes that are equivalent asymptotically in the Gaussian case to maximum likelihood estimates. Consider the stationary ARMA (p, q) minimum phase sequence {xt} $$ {x_{t}} - {\phi _{1}}{x_{t}}_{{ - 1}} - \cdots - {\phi _{p}}{x_{{t - p}}} = {\xi _{t}} + {\theta _{1}}{\xi _{{t - 1}}} + \cdots + {\theta _{q}}{\xi _{{t - q}}} $$ (2.1.1) with the ξ t ’s independent, identically distributed with mean zero and variance σ2.
Microwave Ablation and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains one of the most common malignant neoplasms and is responsible for greater than one million deaths per year [1]. Prognosis of HCC is exceedingly poor because of the high malignancy biology, high recurrence, and overall resistance to current therapies [2].
To Tutor or Not to Tutor: That is the Question

Intelligent tutoring systems often rely on interactive tutored problem solving to help students learn math, which requires students to work through problems step-by-step while the system provides help and feedback. This approach has been shown to be effective in improving student performance in numerous studies. However, tutored problem solving may not be the most effective approach for all students. In a previous study, we found that tutored problem solving was more effective than less interactive approaches, such as simply presenting a worked out solution, for students who were not proficient in math. More proficient students benefited more from seeing solutions rather than going through all of the steps. However, our previous study controlled for the number of problems done and tutored problem solving takes significantly more time than other approaches. We wanted to determine whether tutored problem solving was worth the extra time it took or if students would benefit from practice on more problems in the same amount of time. This study compares tutored problem solving to presenting solutions while controlling for time. We found that more proficient students clearly benefit more from seeing solutions than from tutored problem solving when we control for time, while less proficient students benefit slightly more from tutored problem solving.
Spatial Uniformity Study in a Loaded Reverberation Chamber at Millimeter-Wave Frequencies

We performed a study of the spatial uniformity of the averaged fields in a reverberation chamber at millimeterwave frequencies based on measurements of the power transfer function for six different reverberation chamber loading configurations. We show that chamber spatial uniformity is strongly influenced by loading. An unloaded chamber can be considered as a nearly uniform environment, while uniformity decreases with increased loading. The loading of a chamber is key for wireless tests involving modulated signals. Its purpose is to create a frequency-flat channel, which enables successful demodulation of the signal without distortion. Consequently, understanding this effect is important in quantifying measurement uncertainty in loaded conditions.
Investigation of Heat Transfer Through Multi Jet Heat Exchangers Utilizing Local Thermal Non-Equilibrium Model

Utilization of high conductive porous inserts in heat exchangers can improve cooling effectiveness and temperature control for a variety of applications such as cooling of electronic devices and advanced heat exchangers. Designing more efficient cooling systems would result in durability and sustainability for components subject to high temperature values or heat fluxes. The porous substrate provides a very large surface area for a specific volume that is an essential parameter in heat transfer process. Metal foam is a type of porous material with an interconnected system of metal filaments providing a light and highly conductive substrate. In this work, thermal transport through porous filled heat exchangers is investigated numerically employing local thermal non-equilibrium model. In this model, volume averaging over each of the fluid and solid phases in porous media results in an energy equation for each individual phase. The variable cross section porous filled heat exchanger is subject to a uniform high heat flux at its base surface. The base surface would be in contact with an electronic device to be cooled. The coolant enters the heat exchanger through single or multiple jet impingements normal to the base and moves through the porous field. Utilizing local thermal non-equilibrium model, the flow field characteristics, contours, streamlines, and solid and fluid temperature profiles are investigated. In addition, the effects of single and multi jet impingement with different orientation, 5% titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) in water nanofluid and water coolants, and low and high porosity values are studied in this work, to achieve an optimum design with lowest temperature values and highest temperature uniformity on the base.
Recent Advances and Applications of Freeze-Drying Technology

Despite the advances which have been made during the past thirty years, freeze-drying continues to be more of an art than a science. Although the value of the material processed annually must be on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars, the process of freeze-drying is still greatly underresearched. Lacking especially is a completely satisfactory unified body of theory which would enable a protocol to be drawn up prior to processing on the basis of a few known properties or parameters of the material to be dried. In spite of these restraints, there exist excellent techniques of instrumentation and process control [1] and powerful statistical methods and mathematical models to predict the shelf-life of freeze-dried material [2,3]. Although these studies enable the processor to work on a firm empirical basis, unfortunately they are still widely ignored or misunderstood.
A Research Methodology of Interdependence through Video as Method

Abstract Responding to a need in rhetoric and composition for more attention to digital methodologies and methods, this paper offers one detailed example of the interdependent, messy process of designing, conducting, and continually reconceptualizing digital writing research that uses video. I begin by reviewing research that uses video methods within the field. Then, I narrate how processes of gathering data with video cameras, analyzing data with a video editor, and presenting multimodal products have caused me to rethink and rearticulate my own methodology and methods in a way that better acknowledges the complexity of the research scene and the researcher's interdependent role in the co-construction of meaning. I urge all digital writing researchers to more consciously participate in a similar critical reflective process about their own methodology and methods.
Graduate school training in CBT supervision to develop knowledge and competencies

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the dominant training model adopted by clinical psychology training programs and is commonly reported as the primary theoretical orientation among community th...
Outcomes of Local and Regional Anesthesia for Superficialization of Brachiobasilic Arteriovenous Fistulas.

Background Superficialization, the second stage of a two-stage brachiobasilic arteriovenous fistula (BB-AVF), can be performed under local (LA), regional (RA), or general anesthesia (GA). Given the numerous comorbidities in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), our preference is to use RA or LA when feasible. Our goal was to review the success rate of RA and LA, need for conversion to GA, and cardiac morbidity and mortality for BB-AVF superficialization. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients who underwent BB-AVF creation with second-stage superficialization over a 4-year period. The primary outcome measures included need for conversion to GA, myocardial infarction (MI), and 30-day mortality. A secondary outcome was total operative time (time from preoperative briefing to the time the patient left the operating room). We analyzed the data using Fisher Exact test for categorical data and nonparametric analysis for continuous data. Results There were 42 patients who underwent BB-AVF superficialization. The median age was 56 years, with a mean body mass index of 29. Most patients were male (55%) and predominantly Hispanic/Latino (60%). RA was utilized in 35 patients (83%), LA in 5 (12%), and GA in 2 (5%). The conversion rate from RA to GA was 0% and was 20% (n = 1) from LA to GA. There were no postoperative MI or deaths. There was no significant difference in total operative time (219.6 min for RA, 234.5 min for LA, and 278 min for GA, (P = 0.37)). Conclusions Local and/or regional anesthesia can be successfully used in the majority of patients undergoing BB-AVF superficialization. LA and RA are associated with negligible cardiac morbidity and mortality. Conversion from RA to GA is rare. Use of RA does not result in a longer total operative time.
Association of Early Oxygenation Levels with Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke – A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract Background Ischemic stroke is an emergency with elevated risk for morbidity and mortality. Hypoxia is harmful in acute ischemic stroke. Recent evidence raises concerns regarding hyperoxia as well in acute illness, and for supplemental oxygen therapy when SpO2greater than 92%. Current AHA/ASA guidelines recommend maintaining SpO2greater than 94%. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between the oxygenation levels within the first 6-hour of ischemic stroke admission and mortality. Methods With the approval of the Human Studies Committee (IRB #: 13.0396), we performed a retrospective cohort study of ischemic stroke patients consecutively admitted to our hospital in the years 2013-14 and 2017-18 (n = 1479). Relationship between the first 6 hours oxygenation status and in-house mortality was assessed. SpO2/FiO2 ratio was used as the oxygenation outcome parameter. Patients who were intubated at admission were excluded. Additionally, demographics, baseline confounding factors, neurological status, and laboratory values on admission were examined for their association with mortality in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Mean age of patients was 64 ± 15 years. Time interval from last seen normal to hospital admission was 7 ± 5 hours (mean ± standard deviation). NIHSS on arrival was 4 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 (median-IQR). Fourteen percent of patients received IV alteplase and 6% were treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Baseline SpO2 was 97 ± 2%, and 47% of the patients required supplemental oxygen treatment per AHA/ASA guidelines. In hospital mortality rate of this cohort was 5.7%. Lower mean SpO2 /FiO2 levels were strongly correlated with increasing mortality rates (R2 = .973). Age (1.048 [1.028-1.068]), NIHSS (1.120 [1.088-1.154]), WBC (1.116 [1.061-1.175]) and Mean SpO2/FiO2 (.995 [.992-.999]) independently risk associated with mortality. Conclusions Baseline oxygenation varies within the acute ischemic stroke patient population. In this retrospective cohort study, we are reporting a strong association between lower SpO2/FiO2 levels in the first few hours of admission and mortality. In the light of these results, we plan to prospectively assess the role of oxygenation further in the context of recanalization status of stroke.
Coherent microwave scattering from xenon resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization-initiated plasma in air

Here we present the experimental and computational study of resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of xenon and subsequent avalanche ionization of air. Xenon was excited from the ground state to the excited 6p state ( 89 162 cm − 1) by two photons at 224.3 nm. The third photon at 224.3 nm subsequently produced ionization of xenon in air. The seed electrons from the ionization served as the medium to further absorb the laser pulse for the rotational and vibrational excitation and avalanche ionization of O 2 and N 2. Plasma chemistry of O 2 and N 2 in air was included in the model. The results are useful for understanding REMPI-initiated plasma in air and possibly new diagnostics tools based on REMPI-initiated plasma emissions.
Shunt intention during carotid endarterectomy in the early symptomatic period and perioperative stroke risk

Abstract Objective Whether recent stroke mandates planned shunting during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is controversial. Our goal was to determine associations of various shunting practices with postoperative outcomes of CEAs performed after acute stroke. Methods The Vascular Quality Initiative database (2010-2018) was queried for CEAs performed within 14 days of an ipsilateral stroke. Surgeons who prospectively planned to shunt either shunted routinely per their usual practice or shunted selectively for preoperative indications. Surgeons who prospectively planned not to shunt either shunted selectively for intraoperative indications or did not shunt. Univariable and multivariable analyses compared shunting approaches. Results There were 5683 CEAs performed after acute ipsilateral stroke. Surgeons planned to shunt in 56.1% of cases. Patients whose surgeons planned to shunt vs planned not to shunt were more likely to have severe contralateral stenosis (8.8% vs 6.9%; P = .008), to receive general anesthesia (97.5% vs 89.1%; P Conclusions In CEAs performed after acute ipsilateral stroke, there is no difference in postoperative stroke risk when surgeons prospectively plan to shunt or not to shunt. Shunting is often not necessary; however, when shunting is performed, routine shunters achieve better outcomes.
On the scope of climate finance to facilitate international agreement on climate change

Abstract Can the promise of climate finance help secure an international climate agreement that makes all parties better off? This paper shows that incentive compatible, financial transfers are always feasible and can facilitate a globally efficient agreement if they are bounded by the net benefits of avoided climate damages and forgone economic growth. In contrast, climate finance will generally come up short when based on conventional arguments that seek compensation for foregone economic growth, climate damages (i.e., “loss and damage”), or both. Empirical evidence is provided with a calibrated simulation using the C-DICE integrated assessment model.
Pharmacological Transection of Brain–Spinal Cord Communication Blocks Pain-Induced Hemorrhage and Locomotor Deficits after Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is often accompanied by additional tissue damage (polytrauma), which engages pain (nociceptive) fibers. Prior research has shown that nociceptive input can increase cell de...
Glycopeptide epitope facilitates HIV-1 envelope specific humoral immune responses by eliciting T cell help

The inherent molecular complexity of human pathogens requires that mammals evolved an adaptive immune system equipped to handle presentation of non-conventional MHC ligands derived from disease-causing agents, such as HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein. Here, we report that a CD4+ T cell repertoire recognizes a glycopeptide epitope on gp120 presented by MHCII pathway. This glycopeptide is strongly immunogenic in eliciting glycan-dependent cellular and humoral immune responses. The glycopeptide specific CD4+ T cells display a prominent feature of Th2 and Th17 differentiation and exert high efficacy and potency to help Env trimer humoral immune responses. Glycopeptide-induced CD4+ T cell response prior to Env trimer immunization elicits neutralizing antibody development and production of antibodies facilitating uptake of immunogens by antigen-presenting cells. Our identification of gp120 glycopeptide–induced, T cell–specific immune responses offers a foundation for developing future knowledge-based vaccines that elicit strong and long-lasting protective immune responses against HIV-1 infection. T cells recognize peptide antigens presented in the context of MHC but can additionally recognize non-conventional ligands. Here the authors show T cells specific for a HIV-1 associated glycopeptide antigen presented by MHC class II help envelope (Env) trimer induced humoral immune responses.
Five Proposals to Stop the Games and Encourage a Robust Biosimilar Market

This short comment offers five proposals that could encourage a more robust market for biosimilars, targeting REMS denials, non-REMS denials, citizen petitions, and disparagement, and discussing coordination with the FTC.
Justice Professionals’ Lens on Familial Trafficking Cases:

Of the 30+ forms of human trafficking that exist worldwide, family-facilitated trafficking of minors receives little attention in the United States. This original research study sought to identify ...
Co-exposure to manganese and lead and pediatric neurocognition in East Liverpool, Ohio.

Abstract Exposure to metal mixtures may lead to health impacts greater than the effects associated with singular exposures. Two common childhood environmental exposures, manganese (Mn) and lead (Pb), are associated with similar adverse neurodevelopmental effects; however, the effects surrounding concurrent exposure to both metals remain unclear. We study the impact of joint exposure to Mn and Pb on cognitive performance in school-aged children participating in the Communities Actively Researching Exposure Study (CARES) based in East Liverpool, Ohio. Blood Pb levels were measured for each child (geometric mean (GM) = 1.13 μg/dL, range 0.30 μg/dL – 6.64 μg/dL). Mn was measured in participant blood, hair, and toenails with GMs of 10.1 μg/L, 360 ng/g, 0.974 μg/g, respectively. Trained team members administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV) to assess intelligence quotient (IQ). The WISC-IV provides scores for Full Scale IQ, Perceptual Reasoning, Processing Speed, Working Memory, and Verbal Comprehension. Interactions between blood Pb and all Mn biomarkers were tested in linear models adjusted for child sex, household income, and serum cotinine. Separate regression models were run for each of the Mn biomarkers. The cohort was comprised of 106 children with a mean age of 8.4 years. Interactions between blood Pb and hair Mn were significant (p
Trends and Outcomes Associated With Axillary Management of Males With Clinical N0 Breast Cancer-An NCDB Analysis.

ABSTRACT Background Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) is standard of care for women with clinically N0 breast cancer. However, there are no randomized controlled studies in men determining optimal surgical axillary management. Methods Using the National Cancer Database, males diagnosed from 2006-2016 with clinical T1-4 N0 tumors treated with primary surgery were identified and categorized by axillary management. Clinicopathologic variables were compared between two timeframes, 2006-2011 and 2012-2016. Survival analysis was performed. Results We identified 2,646 males meeting criteria. Use of SLNB increased (65.9%-72.8%, P Conclusions Use of SLNB alone has increased while ALND has declined in males with clinically N0 breast cancer. However, patients who underwent SLNB alone in the later time period had worse clinical characteristics and experienced differences in adjuvant therapy. This suggests increased acceptance of the use of SLNB for axillary management. Further analysis is warranted to evaluate methods of axillary staging and the impact on outcomes in males with breast cancer.
The Effect of Wrongful Conviction Rate on Death Penalty Support and How It Closes the Racial Gap

Prior studies have revealed that wrongful conviction may affect people’s view of the death penalty. But few of them explained why people who believed innocent people were executed still supported the death penalty. This study proposes that what matters may not be whether respondents believed that wrongful convictions existed or not, but rather their beliefs about the frequency of it. It examines how different estimates of the rate of wrongful conviction, rather than general concerns of innocence, affect views about capital punishment. Using Gallup data in three years, I found that people’s perceived wrongful conviction rates were negatively associated with support for the death penalty. The mediation analyses show that perceived wrongful conviction rate fully mediated the effect of being Black on death penalty support in all three years of observation. This research indicates quantifying the risk of wrongful convictions plays an important role in understanding people’s death penalty support.
Mitotic recombination in yeast: what we know and what we don’t know

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is at the forefront of defining the major recombination mechanisms/models that repair targeted double-strand breaks during mitosis. Each of these models predicts specific molecular intermediates as well as genetic outcomes. Recent use of single-nucleotide polymorphisms to track the exchange of sequences in recombination products has provided an unprecedented level of detail about the corresponding intermediates and the extents to which different mechanisms are utilized. This approach also has revealed complexities that are not predicted by canonical models, suggesting that modifications to these models are needed. Current data are consistent with the initiation of most inter-homolog spontaneous mitotic recombination events by a double-strand break. In addition, the sister chromatid is preferred over the homolog as a repair template.
Expedited workflow for “One-Stop” magnetic resonance imaging and image fusion prostate biopsy: implementation and lessons learned

Abstract While the standard two-day workflow for magnetic resonance imaging guided ultrasound biopsy of the prostate grants flexibility to health care providers, a one-stop diagnostic pathway may benefit patients. A working relationship between radiology and urology is essential in implementing a streamlined workflow and built-in feedback loops to identify/prevent pitfalls as they arise. Another consideration is the overlap in patient populations at risk for prostate cancer and for poor outcomes from COVID19. Same day MRI and prostate biopsy protocols can reduce hospital/clinic visits and has the potential to optimize patient safety by minimizing the risk of COVID-19 exposure to high risk populations.
Prospective study of oral microbiome and gastric cancer risk among Asian, African American and European American populations.

Colonization of specific bacteria in the human mouth were reported to be associated with gastric cancer risk. However, previous studies were limited by retrospective study designs and low taxonomic resolutions. We performed a prospective case-control study nested within three cohorts to investigate the relationship between oral microbiome and gastric cancer risk. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was employed to characterize the microbiome in pre-diagnostic buccal samples from 165 cases and 323 matched controls. Associations of overall microbial richness and abundance of microbial taxa, gene families, and metabolic pathways with gastric cancer risk were evaluated via conditional logistic regression. Analyses were performed within each cohort and results were combined by meta-analyses. We found that overall microbial richness was associated with decreased gastric cancer risk, with an odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) increase in Simpson's reciprocal index of 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.61-0.99). Nine taxa, 38 gene families, and six pathways also showed associations with gastric cancer risk at P<0.05. Neisseria mucosa and Prevotella pleuritidis were enriched, while Mycoplasma orale and Eubacterium yurii were depleted among cases with ORs and 95% CIs per SD increase in centered log-ratio transformed taxa abundance of 1.31 (1.03-1.67), 1.26 (1.00-1.57), 0.74 (0.59-0.94) and 0.80 (0.65-0.98), respectively. The top two gene families (P = 3.75×10-4 and 3.91×10-4 ) and pathways (P = 1.75×10-3 and 1.53×10-3 ) associated with gastric cancer were related to the decreased risk and are involved in hexitol metabolism. Our study supports the hypothesis that oral microbiota may play a role in gastric cancer etiology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
New Variational States for t - J Ladders

The Green’s Function Monte Carlo method for lattice systems requires an accurate estimate for the ground-state wave function as an initial condition and as a guide during the simulation [1]. We propose a new type of variational wave function to serve this purpose for t - J ladders.
Symbolic and Quantitative Reasoning: Design of Reaction Pathways Through Recursive Satisfaction of Constraints

Publisher Summary This chapter presents algorithms and a conceptual framework for the synthesis of pathways or mechanisms given a set of steps. The algorithms have been applied to catalytic reaction systems and to biochemical pathways. The basic approach is based on successive processing and elimination of reaction intermediates that should not appear in the net stoichiometry of the overall reactions accomplished. The chapter discusses the algorithms that can be used in one of the following two settings: (1) synthesize alternative pathways of chemical or biochemical reactions as a means to interpret overall transformations that are experimentally observed and (2) synthesize reaction pathways in the course of exploring new, alternative production routes. It discusses examples in both directions. Although it is concerned only with constraints on the directionality and stoichiometry of elementary reactions, the ideas can be extended to include other types of constraints arising, for example, from kinetics or thermodynamics. The algorithm identifies pathways leading from available raw materials to desired target products, enabling more informed decisions in the early stages of the design of a bioprocess. In translating the algorithm to biochemical systems, mechanism steps map to individual bioreactions, whereas overall reaction mechanisms correspond to acceptable biochemical pathways for a bioprocess. The chapter discusses a different formulation of the problem that is better suited to the preliminary-design interpretation of the synthesis of biochemical pathways.
Memory, Identity, and Community: A Creatively Faithful Approach to the Formation of a Theology of Interment.

While the die is cast regarding the valid inclusion of cremation in Catholic funeral rites and liturgies given that certain required criteria are met, recent years have given rise to a new problematic regard the treatment of cremains, in particular the assignment of a final resting place. Recent statistics attest that approximately two-thirds of cremains are not interred by the family members too whom their care is entrusted. Failure to bury the ashes may not imply a malicious intent on the the part of the faithful who remain; however, such inadvertence implies a lacuna in contemporary thought to articulate a clear theology of interment with sigificant attention to cremains. Specifically, disregard for the importance of the burial of cremains indicates something of a theological void in three specific areas. First, casual treatment of the deceased's ashes indicates a failure to be aware of and understand the connection between Christ's burial and our own, most notably in the theological meaning of Christ's rest in the tomb on Holy Saturday. Second, a covert yet telling misunderstanding of the symbolic role of interment in the theology of the resurrection of the body is subtly communicated by this neglect in the obsequy. Third, failure to inter a loved one's ashes may supplant the ultimate connection of all the members of the Communion of Saints with the need for a proximate connection of the physical possession of remains. Accordingly, the present study will suggest anamnesis of Holy Saturday, awareness of the intricacies of the tomb in the theological dynamic of the resurrection of the dead, specifically the contours of resurrected identity , and a refined understanding of the various metaphysical components of the Communion of Saints as a both a pyschological and theological corrective to the need for physical connectedness through personal retention of cremains. Such an amendatory approach will serve as the foundation for the fuller development of a Catholic Theology of Interment and better understanding of the eschatological context of Catholic funerary practices. Inteneded Audience and Goal of Article: Graduate Students, Clergy, and Professional Pastoral Ministers who teach, catechize, and minister in the areas of eschatology, liturgy, and bereavement.
Generating functions with high-order poles are nearly polynomial

Consider the problem of obtaining asymptotic information about a multidimensional arrayof numbers ar, given the generating function\( F\left( z \right) = \sum\nolimits_{r} {{{a}_{r}}} {{z}^{r}} \) When F is meromorphic, it is known how to obtain various asymptotic series for a r in decreasing powers of \( \left| r \right|\).The purpose of this note is to show thatwhen the pole set of F has singularities of a certain kindthen there can be only finitely many terms in such an asymptotic series. As a consequence, in the presence of a singularity of this kind, the whole asymptotic series for ar, is an effectively computable object.
ENDOGENOUS FACTOR IN SPOROGENESIS IN BACTERIA. II. GROWTH AND SPORULATION IN BACILLUS SUBTILIS.

Kerravala, Zarrine J. (University of Illinois, Urbana), V. R. Srinivasan, and H. Orin Halvorson. Endogenous factor in sporogenesis in bacteria. II. Growth and sporulation of Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 88:374–380. 1964.—The presence of an endogenous factor in Bacillus subtilis which could initiate sporogenesis in suspensions of washed vegetative cells was demonstrated. The inability to obtain a culture of vegetative cells, relatively free from spores, by the “active culture” technique necessitated the use of the “continuous culture” method. The investigations on the continuous cultivation of this organism, to obtain a steady-state population of actively growing vegetative cells, resulted in certain observations which gave an insight into the nature of sporogenesis. Growth studies of the organism under these conditions showed that there was a rise in viable cell numbers, until a maximal population was reached. This was maintained at a steady-state level for sometime; on further incubation, there was a reduction in cell numbers, and consequently the steady state could not be maintained any longer. Spore counts showed that the spore fraction of the total population increased on prolonged incubation. The commitment to sporulation appeared to have caused a reduction in the growth rate of the population, which was experimentally demonstrated by a decline in cell numbers. In contrast, when B. cereus strain T. was grown as a continuous culture, it could be maintained as a steady-state population of vegetative cells, for longer periods, like a nonsporeformer (e.g., Escherichia coli). This difference in behavior could be attributed to the fact that whereas B. subtilis can sporulate in the presence of nutrients, B. cereus strain T. cannot do so until the medium has been depleted of nutrients.
Facility dispersion problems: Heuristics and special cases

Facility dispersion problem deals with the location of facilities on a network so as to maximize some function of the distances between facilities. We consider the problem under two different optimality criteria, namely maximizing the minimum distance (MAX-MIN) between any pair of facilities and maximizing the average distance (MAX-AVG) between any pair of facilities. Under either criterion, the problem is known to be NP-hard, even when the distances satisfy the triangle inequality. We consider the question of obtaining near-optimal solutions. For the MAX-MIN criterion, we show that if the distances do not satisfy the triangle inequality, there is no polynomial time relative approximation algorithm unless P=NP. When the distances do satisfy the triangle inequality, we present an efficient heuristic which provides a performance guarantee of 2, thus improving the performance guarantee of 3 proven in [Wh91]. We also prove that obtaining a performance guarantee of less than 2 is NP-hard. For the MAX-AVG criterion, we present a heuristic which provides a performance guarantee of 4, provided that the distances satisfy the triangle inequality. For the 1-dimensional dispersion problem, we provide polynomial time algorithms for obtaining optimal solutions under both MAX-MIN and MAX-AVG criteria. Using the latter algorithm, we obtain a heuristic which provides a performance guarantee of 4(\(\sqrt 2 - 1\)) ≈ 1.657 for the 2-dimensional dispersion problem under the MAX-AVG criterion.