cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genomic diversity between primary tumor tissue and tumor circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in patients (pts) with metastatic prostate cancer.

189Background: Tumor tissue and tumor cfDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) tests are obtained in pts with metastatic prostate cancer and have demonstrated a diverse genomic landscape. High-level evidence does not exist for utilizing these tests to guide treatment selection in these pts. Targeted therapies are available for metastatic prostate cancer treatment and clinical trials are investigating drugs targeting specific molecular pathways. The objective of this study was to assess type and number of genomic aberrations between tumor tissue and cfDNA. Methods: Pts with metastatic prostate cancer who had both tissue and cfDNA results were selected and genomic profiles were compared between these two technologies. The mean number of tissue mutations was compared to cfDNA mutations for all pts using the t-test. The mutations for both tests were then categorized into five pathways: DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, PI3K, epigenetics, and androgen receptor (AR). For each pathway, the total number of patient...
Visceral thromboses (VT) in pancreas adenocarcinoma (PDAC): A systematic review.

268Background: Within the spectrum of gastrointestinal malignancies, primary liver (HCC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are frequently associated with visceral thromboses (VT). Thrombus formation in the portal (PVT), mesenteric (MVT), or splenic vein (SVT) system leads to portal hypertension and intestinal ischemia. VT in PDAC may convey a risk of increased distal thrombosis and poses therapeutic uncertainty regarding the role of anticoagulation. An increasing number of reports describe VT associated with PDAC. It is possible that early diagnosis of these events may help reduce morbidity speculatively improve oncologic outcomes. Methods: Perform a systematic review to study occurrences of visceral thromboses (portal, mesenteric and splenic vein thromboses) associated with PDAC and provide a clinical review on this area. Main databased were searched; PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane library. Two blinded independent observers extracted and assessed the studies for diagno...
Development and multiaxial distribution of expansions in reinforced concrete elements affected by alkali–silica reaction

Understanding the development and multiaxial distribution of expansions is of critical importance in the appraisal of structures affected by alkali–silica reaction. Such expansions were monitored for 33 480-mm reinforced concrete cubes in an effort to develop an improved understanding of the expansion mechanisms in reinforced concrete and broaden the database of experimental results available from which to build tools to aid in the performance assessment of affected structures. The cubes were fabricated using three different concrete mixtures of varying reactivity and contained uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial reinforcement layouts with different reinforcement ratio combinations. In all cases, the cubes expanded at greater rates in unreinforced directions than in reinforced directions. Furthermore, the reinforcement ratios did not significantly influence expansion behavior, especially in the cases of uniaxially, equal biaxially, and equal triaxially reinforced specimens. Increasing the number of reinforced directions resulted in reduced volumetric expansion development over time and greater differences between expansions in reinforced and unreinforced directions. Cubes with end-anchored, deformed steel reinforcing bars placed in three layers developed expansions exceeding steel yield strains in all directions. Cubes with bars placed in two layers exhibited differential expansions between locally reinforced concrete regions at the edges of elements and unreinforced core regions. Mixture reactivity and environmental conditioning influenced expansion rates but not trends of the multiaxial distribution of volumetric expansions.
Deregulated expression of myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) in cervical cancer

5094 Objective: Myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) is a member of a ubiquitous protein kinase family that is known to be involved in regulation of cell size, shape and cellular differentiation. DMPK is known to be highly expressed in heart and skeletal tissues but its expression profile in cancerous tissues is by and large unknown thus far, due to the paucity of immunological reagents with high affinity and well-defined specificity. In the present study we determined the role of DMPK in cervical cancer. Methods: Recently, our group has developed a novel monoclonal antibody using a coil-coiled domain of DMPK. This antibody was used to determine the expression profile of DMPK on a tissue microarray slide containing cervical cancer samples of different stages by immunohistochemistry. DMPK expression and subcellular localization was analyzed in cervical cancer cell lines and in normal primary human keratinocytes (PHK) by immunoblotting and confocal microscopy. The effect of exogenous overexpression of on cell proliferation and cell cycle in cervical cancer lines DMPK was investigated using the Cell Titer 96 Aqueous One Solution (Promega Corporation) and Flow cytometry, respectively. Results: The immunohistochemical expression profile suggests a progressive repression of DMPK in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive squamous carcinoma samples compared to the normal cervical epithelium. Among invasive squamous carcinoma samples, DMPK suppression was predominant in non-keratinized lesions compared to the keratinized lesions. In cultured cells DMPK expression was predominantly observed on the nuclear membrane in cancer cells while in PHK cells it was localized in the cytoplasm and on the nuclear membrane. Exogenous expression of DMPK in HeLa cells effectively inhibited cell proliferation via arresting cells in G2/M phase. Conclusion: We have determined that DMPK is dysregulated in cervical cancer and can serve as a surrogate marker of early onset of cervical cancer. Overexpression of DMPK inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation via modulation of cell cycle. This data suggest that DMPK may be a potential therapeutic target for gene therapy of cervical cancer.
Management of Acute Bleeding After Bariatric Surgery

Bleeding after bariatric surgery is a rare but potentially devastating complication. Obesity is a growing problem worldwide. As the number of bariatric procedures being performed increases, the number of bariatric patients presenting with postoperative bleeding will continue to increase. General and bariatric surgeons should be well aware of potential sites of bleeding and how to manage this complication. In this chapter, we will discuss management of acute bleeding after bariatric surgery. We will discuss the various clinical presentations and potential sites of bleeding in these patients. Detailed descriptions will be provided regarding managing these bleeds. The role of endoscopy in control of these bleeding will also be discussed. In the end, we will discuss various preventive measures to help decrease risk of bleeding including role of routine intraoperative endoscopy. Since gastric bypass and gastric sleeve are the most commonly performed procedures, they will be the focus of this chapter.
A Test of Two Alternative Cognitive Processing Models: Learning Styles and Dual Coding.

This study tested two cognitive models, learning styles and dual coding, which make contradictory predictions about how learners process and retain visual and auditory information. Learning styles-...
Author and Audience in Vitruvius' De architectura

Vitruvius' De architectura is the only extant classical text on architecture, and its impact on Renaissance masters including Leonardo da Vinci is well-known. But what was the text's purpose in its own time (ca. 20s BCE)? In this book, Marden Fitzpatrick Nichols reveals how Vitruvius pitched the Greek discipline of architecture to his Roman readers, most of whom were undoubtedly laymen. The inaccuracy of Vitruvius' architectural rules, when compared with surviving ancient buildings, has knocked Vitruvius off his pedestal. Nichols argues that the author never intended to provide an accurate view of contemporary buildings. Instead, Vitruvius crafted his authorial persona and remarks on architecture to appeal to elites (and would-be elites) eager to secure their positions within an expanding empire. In this major new analysis of De architectura from archaeological and literary perspectives, Vitruvius emerges as a knowing critic of a social landscape in which the house made the man.
Inhibition of dihydrotestosterone synthesis in prostate cancer by combined frontdoor and backdoor pathway blockade.

// Michael V. Fiandalo 1 , John J. Stocking 1 , Elena A. Pop 1 , John H. Wilton 1, 2 , Krystin M. Mantione 2 , Yun Li 1 , Kristopher M. Attwood 3 , Gissou Azabdaftari 4 , Yue Wu 1 , David S. Watt 5 , Elizabeth M. Wilson 6 and James L. Mohler 1 1 Department of Urology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA 2 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA 3 Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA 4 Department of Pathology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA 5 Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA 6 Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA Correspondence to: James L. Mohler, email: James.Mohler@RoswellPark.org Keywords: androstanediol; dihydrotestosterone; dutasteride; 3α-oxidoreductases; androgen deprivation therapy Received: September 06, 2017 Accepted: November 19, 2017 Published: January 10, 2018 ABSTRACT Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is palliative and prostate cancer (CaP) recurs as lethal castration-recurrent/resistant CaP (CRPC). One mechanism that provides CaP resistance to ADT is primary backdoor androgen metabolism, which uses up to four 3α-oxidoreductases to convert 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (DIOL) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The goal was to determine whether inhibition of 3α-oxidoreductase activity decreased conversion of DIOL to DHT. Protein sequence analysis showed that the four 3α-oxidoreductases have identical catalytic amino acid residues. Mass spectrometry data showed combined treatment using catalytically inactive 3α-oxidoreductase mutants and the 5α-reductase inhibitor, dutasteride, decreased DHT levels in CaP cells better than dutasteride alone. Combined blockade of frontdoor and backdoor pathways of DHT synthesis provides a therapeutic strategy to inhibit CRPC development and growth.
Representativeness of wind measurements in moderately complex terrain

We investigated the representativeness of 10-m wind measurements in a 4 km × 2 km area of modest relief by comparing observations at a central site with those at four satellite sites located in the same area. Using a combination of established and new methods to quantify and visualize representativeness, we found significant differences in wind speed and direction between the four satellite sites and the central site. The representativeness of the central site wind measurements depended strongly on surface wind speed and direction, and atmospheric stability. Through closer inspection of the observations at one of the satellite sites, we concluded that terrain-forced flows combined with thermally driven downslope winds caused large biases in wind direction and speed. We used these biases to generate a basic model, showing that terrain-related differences in wind observations can to a large extent be predicted. Such a model is a cost-effective way to enhance an area’s wind field determination and to improve the outcome of pollutant dispersion and weather forecasting models.
A Modular Strategy to Engineer Complex Tissues and Organs

Currently, there are no synthetic or biologic materials suitable for long-term treatment of large tracheal defects. A successful tracheal replacement must (1) have radial rigidity to prevent airway collapse during respiration, (2) contain an immunoprotective respiratory epithelium, and (3) integrate with the host vasculature to support epithelium viability. Herein, biopolymer microspheres are used to deliver chondrogenic growth factors to human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) seeded in a custom mold that self-assemble into cartilage rings, which can be fused into tubes. These rings and tubes can be fabricated with tunable wall thicknesses and lumen diameters with promising mechanical properties for airway collapse prevention. Epithelialized cartilage is developed by establishing a spatially defined composite tissue composed of human epithelial cells on the surface of an hMSC-derived cartilage sheet. Prevascular rings comprised of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and hMSCs are fused with cartilage rings to form prevascular-cartilage composite tubes, which are then coated with human epithelial cells, forming a tri-tissue construct. When prevascular- cartilage tubes are implanted subcutaneously in mice, the prevascular structures anastomose with host vasculature, demonstrated by their ability to be perfused. This microparticle-cell self-assembly strategy is promising for engineering complex tissues such as a multi-tissue composite trachea.
Chinese University Students and Their Experiences of Acculturation at an Ethnic Christian Church.

This paper examines the experiences of Chinese international students from East Coast University (a pseudonym) in the United States through their participation in a Chinese ethnic-based Christian church (CCC). Employing ethnographic-based fieldwork, the study highlights how Chinese international students see their experiences in CCC as a source of acculturation to U.S. society. However, the students evidence little understanding of the reality that they are in fact being acculturated to a subculture within U.S. society that at times embraces values contradictory to those of progressive-oriented East Coast University.
Regional Quality Labels for Agro-Food Products

The strong action of the European legislator in the field of food safety leaves only a small space of autonomy to the national and regional levels. The same cannot be said for the protection of food quality. Indeed, National authorities can create food quality promotion and protection systems, alternative and complementary to those of the European Union (Regulation 1151/2012). But, being managed by public bodies, the national certification schemes cannot entail restrictions based on the national origin of producers or otherwise impede the single market. Moving from these considerations, this chapter deepens the issue of compatibility between European law and national and regional schemes for the promotion of typical and local food products, such as those that introduce public geographic trademarks with the aim of highlighting the typicality of the product or specific features linked to its place of origin. After a brief overview of the events that led Member States to repeal many national and regional laws establishing origin trademarks this chapter focuses on the recent positions of the European Commission and of the Court of Justice on this issue and on the characteristics of regional marks and labels considered to be compatible with EU law. Finally, using Italy as an example, this chapter describes some regional quality labels and focuses on the difficulties in finding solutions that strike a balance between the needs of producers and consumers and the principle of the free movement of goods.
Changes in the physiochemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of fresh pork sausage containing rosemary and green tea extracts during retail display

Abstract The effects of adding combinations of rosemary (R: 1500, 2000, 2500 ppm) and green tea (G: 100, 200, 300 ppm) extracts in combination with synthetic antioxidants on the physiochemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of fresh pork sausage were evaluated. R and G improved (P
Valvular Heart Disease in Women

Valvular heart disease is an important clinical problem in women as a number of congenital and acquired diseases affecting the cardiac valves occur with greater frequency in women. Women also have differences in physiognomy and physiology that influence the clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, therapeutic options, and results of therapy. Women, on average, tend to be smaller than men. This not only applies to their external dimensions, but also to the dimensions of the cardiovascular system. For example, the heart of a normal woman weighs on average approximately 100 g less than men1 (Robbins, Pathology, 3rd ed. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1967, p. 512). They experience differences in cardiovascular remodeling in response to the hemodynamic alterations that result from valvular dysfunction, physiologic changes that accompany a normal pregnancy and the pathologic effects of pregnancy-related complications can deleteriously accelerate valve-related hemodynamic alterations and symptoms of valve dysfunction. In this chapter, we will define those areas of valvular heart disease than directly applies to women, and identify those gender-related issues in the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of valve disease.
Macromolecular Sites for Specific Neurotoxins and Drugs on Chemosensitive Synapses and Electrical Excitation in Biological Membranes

The current understanding of interactions of neurotransmitters with their receptors, leading to channel activation, inactivation, and desensitization, owes much to the discovery of highly specific drugs and toxins (Albuquerque and Daly, 1976; Albuquerque et al., 1979a; Karlin, 1980; Spivak and Albuquerque, 1982; Warnick et al., 1983). In addition, the use of electrophysiological techniques such as voltage clamp, and more recently patch clamp, has enabled investigators to examine the ionic currents underlying synaptic and electrical excitability with regard to population events [e.g., endplate currents (EPC) and ACh noise] and unitary events (single channel currents) while biochemical techniques, such as binding of radiolabeled ligands, affinity chromatography, and tracer flux assays, have allowed isolation, purification, and identification of the receptor channel macromolecule and its component parts. More recently, cloning studies have been useful in identification of the various subunits of the AChR and presumptive binding sites for the neurotransmitter (Noda et al., 1983a; Barnard and Dolly, 1982; Barnard et al., 1982). Such studies are of remarkable value in understanding function in nerve and skeletal muscle membranes. Beyond this, the role of synaptic and neuronal dysfunction in various neuropathic and musculoskeletal diseases is better understood.
The challenges of evolving Rome criteria for functional dyspepsia

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are defined by symptom complexes that occur in the absence of organic, systemic, or metabolic diseases that are likely to explain the symptoms. The criteria were first standardized by a group of experts in 1995 forming the Rome I criteria. There have been 3 subsequent iterations with Rome IV being released in 2016. Pain-associated FGIDS are common, with one of the two most prevalent being functional dyspepsia (FD).
Fixing the Growth Illusion: New Directions for Research in Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth:

The literature on resilience and posttraumatic growth has been instrumental in highlighting the human capacity to overcome adversity by illuminating that there are different pathways individuals ma...
An Experimental Study of Beam Building Mechanisms Using Fully Grouted Bolts in Bedded Mine Rock

SUMMARY An experimental analysis was conducted on beam models containing one row of mechanical or fully grouted bolts. The models were composed of six layers of 1/4 inch thick commercial grade plaster board, 5 1/4 inch wide and lengths of 25 and 36 inches. Strain gages were mounted on each layer of the beam to measure the strain distribution and the deflection at center was recorded. The results indicated the fully grouted bolts are much more effective in beam building than mechanical bolts. The strain gage data showed the beam building to be more complete at the center of the beam than at the ends. When the experimental values of reinforcement were compared to the present theory, the theory failed to accurately predict the reinforcement.
Multiphase Control for Robust and Complete Soft-charging Operation of Dual Inductor Hybrid Converter

This paper presents a new Multiphase Dual Inductor Hybrid (MP-DIH) Converter for application in data center and telecommunication systems. The converter is based on addition of two output filter inductors to a Dickson switched-capacitor converter. The inductors are operated in multiple phases that are non-overlapped and evenly distributed over one switching cycle, completely soft-charging all flying capacitors even in the presence of practical capacitor mismatches and voltage ripples. In this converter operation, each branch of the switched-capacitor network is activated individually in one charging phase, and two interleaved inductors are employed to softly charge and discharge the capacitors to achieve high efficiency without any complex capacitor sizing or split phase operation. To verify the topology and its soft-charging advantages, a 48V-to-1.8V 20W experimental converter prototype is constructed. The converter achieves 92.4% peak efficiency for 40V-to-1.8V conversion and 92.1% peak efficiency for 48V-to-1.8V conversion at 4A load, and with 20% capacitance variations.
Adsorption and Desorption of Carbon Dioxide on Sodium Oxide Impregnated Alumina

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of carbon dioxide on sodium oxide impregnated alumina particles are investigated using a small-scale packed-bed reactor (PBR) at different feed concentrati...
Examining Language Bias in Computer Science

This lightning talk will discuss the current efforts to identify and analyze the possibility of language bias in documents, exams, technical interviews, and actual interviews used in computer science as contributing factors in the continued lack of participation/success of underrepresented populations in computers science despite extensive efforts to develop a more inclusive environment. Although many factors have been examined while attempting to explain the continued lack of participation/success of under-represented populations in computer science, language bias in the very instruments that are used to measure success and entry does not seem to be among the forefront of these endeavors. This work is inspired by previous work done to examine biased language based upon neutral point of view (NPOV) revisions done on Wikipedia pages and seeks to apply similar methodologies to computer science instruments of evaluation in order to determine if there may indeed be a subtle and unconscious language bias within them.
Testing Mean and Covariance Structures with Reweighted Least Squares

Author(s): Zheng, Bang Quan | Advisor(s): Bentler, Peter M | Abstract: Does Reweighted Least Squares (RLS) perform better in small samples than maximum likelihood (ML) for mean and covariance structure? ML statistics in covariance structure analysis are based on the asymptotic normality assumption; however, actual applications of structural equation modeling (SEM) in social and behavioral science research usually involve small samples. It has been found that chi-square tests often incorrectly over-reject the null hypothesis: Σ=Σ(θ), because when sample is small the sample covariance matrix becomes ill-conditioned and entails unstable estimates. In certain SEM models, the vector of parameter must contain both means, variances and covariances. Yet, whether RLS also works in mean and covariance structure remains unexamined. This research is an extended examination of reweighted least squares in mean and covariance structure. Specifically, we replace biased covariance matrix in traditional GLS function (Browne, 1974) with the unbiased sample covariance matrix that derives from ML estimation. Moreover, under the assumption of multivariate normality, a Monte Carlo simulation study was carried out to examine the statistical performance as compared with ML methods in different sample sizes. Based on empirical rejection frequencies and empirical averages of test statistic, this study shows that RLS performs much better than ML in mean and covariance structure models when sample sizes are small.
FLAG-PDFe: Features Oriented Metadata Extraction Framework for Scientific Publications

The unprecedented growth of the research publications in diversified domains has overwhelmed the research community. It requires a cumbersome process to extract this enormous information by manually analyzing these research documents. To automatically extract content of a document in a structured way, metadata and content must be annotated. Scientific community has been focusing on automatic extraction of content by forming different heuristics and applying different machine learning techniques. One of the renowned conference organizers, ESWC organizes state-of-the-art challenge to extract metadata like authors, affiliations, countries in affiliations, supplementary material, sections, table, figures, funding agencies, and EU funded projects from PDF files of research articles. We have proposed a feature centric technique that can be used to extract logical layout structure of articles from publishers with diversified composition styles. To extract unique metadata from a research article placed in logical layout structure, we have developed a four-staged novel approach “FLAG-PDFe”. The approach is built upon distinct and generic features based on the textual and the geometric information from the raw content of research documents. At the first stage, the distinct features are used to identify different physical layout components of an individual article. Since research journals follow their unique publishing styles and layout formats, therefore, we develop generic features to handle these diversified publishing patterns. We employ support vector classification (SVC) in the third stage to extract the logical layout structure (LLS)/ sections of an article, after performing comprehensive evaluation of generic features and machine learning models. Finally, we further apply heuristics on LLS to extract the desired metadata of an article. The outcomes of the study are obtained using the gold standard data set. The results yields 0.877 recall, precision 0.928 and 0.897 F-measure. Our approach has achieved a 16% gain on f-measure when compared to the best approach of the ESWC challenge.
PMEPA1 Gene Isoforms: A Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Prostate Cancer

The identification of prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1), an androgen responsive gene, came initially from the studies of androgen regulatory gene networks in prostate cancer. It was soon followed by the documentation of the expression and functional analysis of transmembrane prostate androgen-induced protein (TMEPAI)/PMEPA1 in other solid tumors including renal, colon, breast, lung, and ovarian cancers. Further elucidation of PMEPA1 gene expression and sequence analysis revealed the presence of five isoforms with distinct extracellular domains (isoforms a, b, c, d, and e). Notably, the predicted amino acid sequences of PMEPA1 isoforms show differences at the N-termini, a conserved membrane spanning and cytoplasmic domains. PMEPA1 serves as an essential regulator of multiple signaling pathways including androgen and TGF-β signaling in solid tumors. Structure-function studies indicate that specific motifs present in the cytoplasmic domain (PY, SIM, SH3, and WW binding domains) are utilized to mediate isoform-specific functions through interactions with other proteins. The understanding of the "division of labor" paradigm exhibited by PMEPA1 isoforms further expands our knowledge of gene's multiple functions in tumorigenesis. In this review, we aim to summarize the most recent advances in understanding of PMEPA1 isoform-specific functions and their associations with prostate cancer progression, highlighting the potentials as biomarker and therapeutic target in prostate cancer.
Comparison between Different Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment Methodologies: A Review and Case Study of Biomass-based p-Xylene Production

Two common life cycle assessment (LCA) methods are process LCA and economic input–output LCA, which suffer from truncation error and aggregation error, respectively. Many hybridization techniques a...
Recognition of novelty in leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum).

Abstract Novelty recognition helps organisms identify changes over time. Studies to date have usually involved mammals, particularly rodents. We explored leopard geckos’ (Eublepharis macularius; Experiment 1) and tiger salamanders’ (Ambystoma tigrinum, Experiment 2) sensitivity to spatial and object novelty. We used an exploratory paradigm adapted from rodents where time spent near objects in an open-field box was compared. Subjects first habituated to three objects. To evaluate spatial novelty recognition, one object was moved to a new location. Subjects again habituated to the objects’ locations. To evaluate object novelty recognition, one object that had not been moved earlier was replaced with an unfamiliar object. Results indicated when one object was moved to a new location, geckos and salamanders spent more time near that spatially-displaced object. Additionally, when a familiar object was replaced with a new object, geckos and salamanders spent more time near the substituted object. These results suggest geckos and salamanders recognized changes in objects’ identities and locations. Geckos and salamanders acted differentially depending on familiarity in both spatial and object domains. These results support attempts to include lesser-studied species in our efforts to characterize cognition.
A Bayesian Mixture Model for Predicting the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States.

An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a global pandemic affecting virtually every country. As of August 31, 2020, globally, there have been approximately 25,500,000 confirmed cases and 850,000 deaths; in the United States (50 states plus District of Columbia), there have been more than 6,000,000 confirmed cases and 183,000 deaths. We propose a Bayesian mixture model to predict and monitor COVID-19 mortality across the United States. The model captures skewed unimodal (prolonged recovery) or multimodal (multiple surges) curves. The results show that across all states, the first peak dates of mortality varied between April 4, 2020 for Alaska and June 18, 2020 for Arkansas. As of August 31, 2020, 31 states had a clear bimodal curve showing a strong second surge. The peak date for a second surge ranged from July 1, 2020 for Virginia to September 12, 2020 for Hawaii. The first peak for the United States occurred about April 16, 2020-dominated by New York and New Jersey-and a second peak on August 6, 2020-dominated by California, Texas, and Florida. Reliable models for predicting the COVID-19 pandemic are essential to informing resource allocation and intervention strategies. A Bayesian mixture model was able to more accurately predict the shape of the mortality curves across the United States than other models, including the timing of multiple peaks. However, given the dynamic nature of the pandemic, it is important that the results be updated regularly to identify and better monitor future waves, and characterize the epidemiology of the pandemic.
Coupled vibration-dissociation time-histories and rate measurements in shock-heated, nondilute O2 and O2–Ar mixtures from 6000 to 14 000 K

Validation of high-fidelity models for high-temperature hypersonic flows requires high-accuracy kinetics data for oxygen (O2) reactions, including time-histories and rate parameter measurements. Consequently, shock-tube experiments with ultraviolet (UV) laser absorption were performed to measure quantum-state-specific time-histories and coupled vibration-dissociation (CVDV) rate parameters in shock-heated, nondilute O2 and oxygen–argon (O2–Ar) mixtures. Experiments probed mixtures of 20% O2–Ar, 50% O2–Ar, and 100% O2 for initial post-reflected-shock conditions from 6000 to 14 000 K and 26–210 Torr. Two UV lasers—one continuous-wave laser and one pulsed laser—measured absorbance time-histories from the fifth and sixth vibrational levels of the electronic ground state of O2, respectively. The absorbance time-histories subsequently yielded time-histories for vibrational temperature (Tv) from the absorbance ratio, translational/rotational temperature (Ttr) from energy conservation, total O2 number density ( n O 2) from the individual absorbances, and vibrational-state-specific number density ( n v ″) from the Boltzmann population fractions. These state-specific temperature and number density time-histories demonstrate the low uncertainty necessary for high-temperature model validation and provide data to higher temperature than previous experiments. Additional analysis of the temperature and number density time-histories allowed inference of rate parameters in the Marrone and Treanor CVDV model, including vibrational relaxation time ( τ O 2 − O 2), average vibrational energy loss (e), vibrational coupling factor (Z), and dissociation rate constants ( k d O 2 − O 2 and k d O 2 − O). The results for each of these five parameters show reasonable consistency across the range of temperatures, pressures, and mixtures and generally agree with a modified Marrone and Treanor model by Chaudhry et al. [“Implementation of a chemical kinetics model for hypersonic flows in air for high-performance CFD,” in Proceedings of AIAA Scitech Forum (2020)]. Finally, the results for τ O 2 − O 2, k d O 2 − O 2, and k d O 2 − O exhibit much lower scatter than previous experimental studies.
Unsupervised Causal Knowledge Extraction from Text using Natural Language Inference (Student Abstract).

In this paper, we address the problem of extracting causal knowledge from text documents in a weakly supervised manner. We target use cases in decision support and risk management, where causes and effects are general phrases without any constraints. We present a method called CaKNowLI which only takes as input the text corpus and extracts a high-quality collection of cause-effect pairs in an automated way. We approach this problem using state-of-the-art natural language understanding techniques based on pre-trained neural models for Natural Language Inference (NLI). Finally, we evaluate the proposed method on existing and new benchmark data sets.
A Comparison of Activity Participation between Children with and without Asthma

Background Asthma affects approximately 6 million children in the United States and can greatly impact quality of life and occupational engagement. Although occupational therapists are well-equipped to address participation limitations, insufficient evidence exists to support the role of occupational therapists in asthma treatment. Method The purpose of this study was to further understand the occupational limitations experienced by children with asthma. We also explored a dual diagnosis of asthma and obesity. The participants included children with (n = 84) and without (n = 63) asthma living in New York City. The Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self Report, Brief Respiratory Questionnaire, and accelerometer data were used to examine occupational participation. Results Although accelerometry data demonstrated that children with asthma were equally as active as their non-asthmatic peers, the participants with asthma perceived themselves as participating more in sedentary occupations and were less likely to be members of sports teams. They also had more missed school days and nights of troubled sleep. The children with both asthma and obesity reported the highest level of activity limitations. Conclusion This study illustrates specific limitations experienced by children with asthma and supports the need for occupational therapy intervention. Future studies are needed to design and assess interventions that will support the addition of occupational therapists to multidisciplinary asthma treatment teams.
How I treat cardiovascular complications in patients with lymphoid malignancies.

The prognosis of several lymphoid malignancies has improved through development of novel therapies, combination with traditional chemotherapies, and investigation of appropriate therapeutic sequencing. Toxicities that are arising because of prolonged or multiple sequential therapeutic interventions are becoming increasingly impactful. Among the broad spectrum of complications that patients with lymphoid malignancies may experience, cardiovascular toxicities are significant in terms of morbidity and mortality. The entire cardiovascular system can be affected, but cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and arrhythmias remain of greatest concerns with the use of anthracyclines, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and radiation therapy in patients with lymphoid malignancies. These aspects will be covered in this article within the framework of case-based discussions. Key to the management of cardiovascular complications in patients with lymphoid malignancies is awareness and preparedness across the cancer continuum. Baseline risk stratification helps to direct surveillance and early intervention efforts before, during and after cancer therapy, which are paramount for best possible outcomes. Along these lines, the overall goal is to enable the best possible therapies for lymphoid malignancies without the complications of clinically significant cardiovascular events.
Scarus obishime, a New Parrotfish (Perciformes: Scaridae) from the Ogasawara Islands.

Scarus obishime is described as a new species of parrotfish from the Ogasawara Islands from five specimens. It is characterized as follows: 6–7 median predorsal scales, a single scale in third row on cheek, 15 pectoral rays, terminal male with a prominent bulging snout and forehead; initial-phase fish yellowish brown with an irregular white lateral stripe posteriorly on body; terminal male deep blue with a broad yellow bar on body.
Linear Parameter Varying Modeling and Control of a Nonlinear Power Plant

This study explores different Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) modeling approaches and optimization methodology for a nonlinear hydro power plant. The overall hydro plant dynamics is assumed to be decomposable to its subsystems whose overall characteristics involve different dynamical behaviors related to two real-time time-varying parameters that can be measurable in future periods. The hydro plant dynamics are expressed in terms of an LPV model with two time-varying parameters to efficiently characterize the plant dynamical variations to compare as well as achieve superior modeling, analysis and control frameworks, especially in contemporary smart grid networks. The two-parameter LPV hydro plant model control system configurations and corresponding simulations illustrate a valuable computational tool for nonlinear power plant optimization.
Wind Generated Gravity Waves

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to describe the new theoretical developments, which give a more complete and more accurate description of the analysis, generation, propagation, and refraction of wind generated gravity waves. A special path of development through hydrodynamic theory permits a link with time series theory that yields a realistic and practical description of actual ocean waves. This description explains the irregularity of these waves, it describes their short crestedness, and it illustrates the change from sea waves to swell waves. Because of the essential irregularity of actual wind generated gravity waves, the finer developments and the refinements of nonlinear theory have to be sacrificed. Linear theories are used in order to employ the principle of superposition to the best advantage. The irregularity and the marked variation in height from wave to wave in an actual wave record are explained before minor effects of nonlinearity can be taken into consideration. The plan of this chapter is to outline the many different kinds of inquiry pursued in classical hydrodynamics with reference to waves; to show that simple harmonic progressive waves must be selected as the link with time series theory; to show how Fourier integral theory leads more generally to time series theory; and finally, to show how a model of wind generated gravity waves can be constructed, which will explain many of the features of actual waves.
Some cultural conditions that control biosynthesis of lipid and aflatoxin by Aspergillus parasiticus.

Synthesis of total lipid and aflatoxin by Aspergillus parasiticus as affected by various concentrations of glucose and nitrogen in a defined medium and by different incubation temperatures was studied. Maximal yields of lipid and aflatoxin were obtained with 30% glucose, whereas mold growth, expressed as dry weight, was maximal when the medium contained 10% glucose. Maximal mold growth occurred when the medium contained 3% (NH4)2SO4; however, 1% (NH4)2SO4 favored maximum accumulation of lipid and aflatoxin. Growth of mold and synthesis of lipid and toxin also varied with the incubation temperature. Maximal mold growth occurred at 35 C, whereas most toxin appeared at 25 C. Maximal production of lipid occurred at 25 and 35 C but production was more rapid at 35 C. Essentially all glucose in the medium (5% initially) was utilized in 3 days at 25 and 35 C but not in 7 days at 15 and 45 C. Patterns for formation of lipid and aflatoxin were similar at 15 and 25 C when a complete growth medium was used and at 28 C when the substrate contained various concentrations of glucose or (NH4)2SO4. They were dissimilar when the mold grew at 35 or 45 C. At these temperatures lipid was produced preferentially and only small amounts of aflatoxin appeared.
PsychExps: A Resource for Instruction in Psychology

PsychExps (http://www.olemiss.edu/PsychExps) is a web-based cognitive psychology laboratory supported by the Department of Education FIPSE program and the University of Mississippi. Cognitive psychology experiments written in Macromedia's Authorware language are delivered via the worldwide web to participants, where they are executed in "non-trusting" mode using the free Authorware Web Player. After completing an experiment, the participant may choose to submit data to the publicly accessible archive on the UM server. For analysis, the data may be sorted by affiliation and date, and Excel macros are provided that separate data by participant and create a summary page. As of Spring '99, more than sixty university, community college, and high school classes had registered to use this resource. On-campus workshops are available to psychology instructors who wish to learn to write experiments in Authorware. The Principal Investigators of PsychExps will demonstrate the site and the construction of experiments at this demonstration/poster display.
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in pediatric low-grade glioma

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate local control and patterns of failure in pediatric patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) who received treatment with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS In total, 39 children received IMRT after incomplete resection or disease progression. Three methods of target delineation were used. The first was to delineate the gross tumor volume (GTV) and add a 1-cm margin to create the clinical target volume (CTV) (Method 1; n = 19). The second was to add a 0.5-cm margin around the GTV to create the CTV (Method 2; n = 6). The prescribed dose to the GTV was the same as dose to the CTV for both Methods 1 and 2 (median, 50.4 grays [Gy]). The final method was dose painting, in which a GTV was delineated with a second target volume (2TV) created by adding 1 cm to the GTV (Method 3; n = 14). Different doses were prescribed to the GTV (median, 50.4 Gy) and the 2TV (median, 41.4 Gy). RESULTS The 8-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 78.2% and 93.7%, respectively. Seven failures occurred, all of which were local in the high-dose (≥95%) region of the IMRT field. On multivariate analysis, age ≤5 years at time of IMRT had a detrimental impact on progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS IMRT provided local control rates comparable to those provided by 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional radiotherapy. Margins ≥1 cm added to the GTV may not be necessary, because excellent local control was achieved by adding a 0.5-cm margin (Method 2) and by dose painting (Method 3). Cancer 2013;119:2654–2659. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Heme oxygenase-1 promoter polymorphisms and risk of spina bifida.

Background Spina bifida is the most common form of neural tube defects (NTDs). Etiologies of NTDs are multifactorial, and oxidative stress is believed to play a key role in NTD development. Heme oxygenase (HO), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, has multiple protective properties including mediating antioxidant processes, making it an ideal candidate for study. The inducible HO isoform (HO-1) has two functional genetic polymorphisms: (GT)n dinucleotide repeats and A(-413)T SNP (rs2071746), both of which can affect its promoter activity. However, no study has investigated a possible association between HO-1 genetic polymorphisms and risk of NTDs. Methods: This case-control study included 152 spina bifida cases (all myelomeningoceles) and 148 nonmalformed controls obtained from the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program reflecting births during 1990 to 1999. Genetic polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction and amplified fragment length polymorphisms/restriction fragment length polymorphisms using genomic DNA extracted from archived newborn blood spots. Genotype and haplotype frequencies of two HO-1 promoter polymorphisms between cases and controls were compared. Results: For (GT)n dinucleotide repeat lengths and the A(-413)T SNP, no significant differences in allele frequencies or genotypes were found. Linkage disequilibrium was observed between the HO-1 polymorphisms (D′: 0.833); however, haplotype analyses did not show increased risk of spina bifida overall or by race/ethnicity. Conclusion: Although, an association was not found between HO-1 polymorphisms and risk of spina bifida, we speculate that the combined effect of low HO-1 expression and exposures to known environmental oxidative stressors (low folate status or diabetes), may overwhelm antioxidant defenses and increase risk of NTDs and warrants further study. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fast MOS circuit simulation with a direct equation solver

An approach to MOS circuit simulation is presented. This approach considers most of the important circuit parameters, such as input slew rate, loading capacitance, overlapping of inputs, incomplete charging or discharging of output nodes, back gate bias effect, and the Miller effect. A general-purpose MOS circuit primitive is proposed. This circuit primitive captures most of the important parameters in MOS circuits. The transient response of the primitive is analytically found by recognizing the unique properties of the Ricatti equation model for the primitive. The analytical solution of differential equation provides a high accuracy. In addition to the popular ramp approximation of rising and falling edges, more general piecewise linear waveform approximation is also allowed. Simulation results for a benchmark 50-stage CMOS inverter chain and a CMOS XNOR gate show that the speed of a simulator using this approach is comparable with state-of-the-art switch level simulators and up to two orders of magnitude faster than SPICE for transient analysis with less than 1% error. >