cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser vaporization of bovine prostate: a quantitative comparison of potassium-titanyl-phosphate and lithium triborate lasers.

Purpose: We compared the outcomes of in vitro vaporization of bovine prostate using the lithium triborate GreenLight™ HPS™ and the GreenLight KTP PV™ photoselective vaporization laser.Materials and Methods: A total of 96 specimens of bovine prostate tissue in saline at 20C were vaporized with a 2-dimensional scanning system using a side firing fiber emitting a 532 nm wavelength at 80 W using the KTP laser, and at 80 and 120 W using the HPS laser at a working distance of 0.5 to 5 mm and a treatment speed of 2 to 8 mm per second. Dimensions of the vaporized tissue and resultant lesions were assessed.Results: At a minimum working distance of 0.5 mm and a treatment speed of 4 mm per second (determined by optimum vaporization volume/energy use) the HPS laser at 80 and 120 W vaporized 50% and 100% more tissue, respectively, than the KTP laser at the customary 80 W. At the same treatment speed the HPS laser vaporized equally efficiently at up to 3 mm working distance at each power level, whereas the KTP laser lo...
The Differences in Descriptive Abilities of Band, Choral, and Orchestral Students

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of membership in secondary school music performance organisations on student capability to select appropriate verbal responses describ- ing perceptions of musical components. A questionnaire, portions of Gordon's Musical Aptitude Profile (MAP), and an original "Musical Verbal Descriptor Profile" (MVDP) were administered to 892 members of bands, choruses, orchestras and to control groups consisting of ninth through twelfth-grade students with no high school music performance experience. The primary analysis of the data indicated that there was a significant difference between participants in secondary school music ensembles and non-participants in terms of their ability to select appropriate common or musical vernacular descriptions of recorded musical events.
Role of Adhesion Molecules and Vascular Endothelium in the Pathogenesis of Sickle Cell Disease

A number of lines of evidence now support the hypothesis that vaso-occlusion and several of the sequelae of sickle cell disease (SCD) arise, at least in part, from adhesive interactions of sickle red blood cells, leukocytes, and the endothelium. Both experimental and genetic evidence provide support for the importance of these interactions. It is likely that future therapies for SCD might target one or more of these interactions.
Size preserving pattern mapping

We introduce a new approach for mapping texture on volumetric iso-surfaces and parametric surfaces. Our approach maps 2D images on surfaces while maintaining continuity and preserving the size of the mapped images on the models. Our approach is fully automatic. It eliminates the need for manual mapping of texture maps. We use the curvature of a surface at a point in order to continuously vary the scale of the mapped image. This makes our approach dependent only on local attributes of a point (position, normal and its derivatives) and independent of the global shape and topology of an object. Our method can map high resolution images on low resolution volumes, hence enhancing the visual appearance of rendered volume data. We describe a general framework useful for all surface types that have a C/sup 1/ continuous normal. We demonstrate the new method for painting volume data and for mapping cavities on volume data.
Adjustments for Center in Multicenter Studies: An Overview

Increasingly, investigators rely on multicenter or multigroup studies to demonstrate effectiveness and generalizability. Authors too often overlook the analytic challenges in these study designs: the correlation of outcomes and exposures among patients within centers, confounding of associations by center, and effect modification of treatment or exposure across center. Correlation or clustering, resulting from the similarity of outcomes among patients within a center, requires an adjustment to confidence intervals and P values, especially in observational studies and in randomized multicenter studies in which treatment is allocated by center rather than by individual patient. Multicenter designs also warrant testing and adjustment for the potential bias of confounding by center, and for the presence of effect modification or interaction by center. This paper uses examples from the recent biomedical literature to highlight the issues and analytic options.
Sensitivity of quantum cascade laser performance to thickness and doping variations

Abstract We report on a study of the effects of intentional thickness and doping variations on QCL performance. The measured QCL data had very similar trends to those predicted by an in-house QCL model. It was found that absolute changes to the QCL period had a very small effect on emission wavelength (wavelength/period change 10 nm/A), whereas the complementary thickness changes between the wells and barriers had a large effect (wavelength/thickness change=550 nm/A). The threshold voltage also changed with these variations and generally agreed well with the model. We show through modeling and experiments that intentional structure variations can have largely different magnitudes of effect on QCL performance.
Lending A Hand: Detecting Hands and Recognizing Activities in Complex Egocentric Interactions

Hands appear very often in egocentric video, and their appearance and pose give important cues about what people are doing and what they are paying attention to. But existing work in hand detection has made strong assumptions that work well in only simple scenarios, such as with limited interaction with other people or in lab settings. We develop methods to locate and distinguish between hands in egocentric video using strong appearance models with Convolutional Neural Networks, and introduce a simple candidate region generation approach that outperforms existing techniques at a fraction of the computational cost. We show how these high-quality bounding boxes can be used to create accurate pixelwise hand regions, and as an application, we investigate the extent to which hand segmentation alone can distinguish between different activities. We evaluate these techniques on a new dataset of 48 first-person videos of people interacting in realistic environments, with pixel-level ground truth for over 15,000 hand instances.
The financial impact of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol in colo-rectal surgical care

Objective: Enhanced Recovery Protocols (ERPs) have been shown in many different settings to lead to quicker recovery for most patients, with a significantly reduced average length of post-operative stay (LOS). A less studied impact of ERPs has been their effect on hospital profitability. While these protocols are resource-intensive and expensive to implement, we argue that they can lead to significantly improved margins. This can be attributed to fewer complications and, more significantly, reductions in LOS resulting in increased patient capacity. Methods: Our ERP was implemented in June of 2014. The protocol was initially used only for colo-rectal cases, both elective and emergent. It contained over 20 pre-, intra-, and post-operative elements of surgical care. One year of data from the ERP cases was compared to contemporaneous controls that did not go through the ERP. Financial data was obtained from the hospital cost accountant. Average LOS was obtained from the EHR. Results: Patients who underwent colo-rectal procedures and participated in the ERP had an average LOS of 5.60 days, while controls stayed for an average of 8.51 days. Financial analysis determined that a full year of compliance with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols added over 2 million dollars to the margin for a return on investment (ROI) of over 10 to 1, mainly by increasing hospital capacity and allowing more admissions. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that ERPs significantly reduce LOS, increasing hospital patient capacity. The higher patient load more than recoups ERP costs. Further collection and analysis of data aims to determine the effect on complications, which also have cost saving potential.
Extracellular nucleotide signaling along the renal epithelium

During the past two decades, several cell membrane receptors, which preferentially bind extracellular nucleotides, and their analogs have been identified. These receptors, collectively known as nucleotide receptors or "purinergic" receptors, have been characterized and classified on the basis of their biological actions, their pharmacology, their molecular biology, and their tissue and cell distribution. For these receptors to have biological and physiological relevance, nucleotides must be released from cells. The field of extracellular ATP release and signaling is exploding, as assays to detect this biological process increase in number and ingenuity. Studies of ATP release have revealed a myriad of roles in local regulatory (autocrine or paracrine) processes in almost every tissue in the body. The regulatory mechanisms that these receptors control or modulate have physiological and pathophysiological roles and potential therapeutic applications. Only recently, however, have ATP release and nucleotide receptors been identified along the renal epithelium of the nephron. This work has set the stage for the study of their physiological and pathophysiological roles in the kidney. This review provides a comprehensive presentation of these issues, with a focus on the renal epithelium.
Recent Advances in Induced Molting

Abstract Molt induction methods that produce a complete cessation of lay, reproductive involution for several days, and loss of nearly 50% of the primary feathers are the most successful. Feed deprivation and high levels of dietary zinc have proven to be the most consistent methods available. Calcium appears to play a pivotal role in molt induction as calcium carbonate feeding prolongs ovulation during the initial stages of an induced molt and dietary zinc has been shown to interfere with calcium-related metabolic activities at the level of the ovary. The primary site of action of feed deprivation appears to be at the level of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal axis, where calcium is involved in many endocrine pathways. The physiological basis of postmolt rejuvenation has been related to the extent of ovarian and oviducal involution. Evidence suggests that restructuring of receptor or membrane functions in the oviduct is the basis for rejuvenation. A body weight loss of about 30% appears to be necessary for appropriate restructuring of the shell gland.
An intelligent energy management system for large-scale charging of electric vehicles

The problem of large-scale charging of electric vehicles (EVs) with consumer-imposed charging deadlines is considered. An architecture for the intelligent energy management system (iEMS) is introduced. The iEMS consists of an admission control and pricing module, a scheduling module that determines the charging sequence, and a power dispatch module that draws power from a mix of storage, local renewable energy sources, and purchased power from the grid. A threshold admission and greedy scheduling (TAGS) policy is proposed to maximize operation profit. The performance of TAGS is analyzed and evaluated based on average and worst-case performance measures and the optimality of TAGS is established for some instances. Numerical simulations demonstrate that TAGS achieves noticeable performance gains over benchmark techniques.
Applied molecular genetics: new tools for microbiologists and clinicians.

"I believe that biological research can provide gratifying occupation for as many people as have the necessary training [but] I do not expect conventional benefits to medicine or technology from biological research to be common in the future . . . It does not seem likely that wholly new principles of treatment will emerge . . . We [doing medical research] shall have to forego that special place we used to claim amongst scholars that there was special virtue in our work because of its potentiality for saving life." Sir Frank MacFarlane Burnet [1]
Amino Acid and Protein Metabolism in Hospitalized Patients as Measured by l-[U-14C]Tyrosine and l-[1-14C]Leucine

Plasma amino acid kinetics were determined in hospitalized patients receiving one of three intravenous solutions: isotonic amino acids, isotonic sodium chloride, or total parenteral nutrition. Whole body amino acid appearance, oxidation and incorporation into protein were estimated with two different isotopically labelled amino acids: L-[1-14C]leucine and L-[U-14C]tyrosine. A positive correlation was obtained between whole body amino acid appearance, oxidation and incorporation into protein with the two isotopically labelled amino acids. Derivation of whole body protein kinetics with L-[U-14C]tyrosine consistently gave higher values than those obtained from L-[1-14C]leucine, presumably due in part to the contribution of phenylalanine hydroxylation to plasma tyrosine appearance. However, the percentages of amino acid appearance oxidized and used for protein synthesis were similar. It can be concluded that estimates of whole body protein kinetics are qualitatively similar when measured with L-[U-14C]tyrosine and L-[1-14C]leucine in hospitalized patients receiving either isotonic sodium chloride solutions or balanced amino acid intakes.
Weight sensitivity and syllable codas in Srinagar Koshur

This paper describes and analyses the pattern of word stress found in the standard dialect of Koshur (Kashmiri) spoken in Srinagar. The significance of Koshur for studies of stress lies in that taken together, its pattern of stress assignment and a pervasive pattern of syncope conspire to produce a four-way syllable weight distinction that has sometimes been expressed as the scale CVːC>CVː>CVC>CV. The interesting feature of this type of scale is that closed syllables, CVːC and CVC are preferred as stress peaks over open syllables with vowels of the same length. Other researchers have noted that in languages with this scale, or the abbreviated ternary version CVː>CVC>CV, CVC syllables behave ambiguously with respect to stress. They seem to be heavy in relation to CV when CVː syllables are absent. In a stress clash context however, CVC defers to CVː. ‘Mora-only’ accounts of other languages with this scale have interpreted the ambiguous behaviour of CVC as evidence that CVC syllables are bimoraic where their behaviour seems to group them with CVː but monomoraic elsewhere (e.g. Rosenthall & van der Hulst 1999, Moren 2000). To account for the CVːC>CVː effect, mora-only accounts have been forced to assume that CVːC are trimoraic. We show that a mora-only analysis does not offer a satisfying account of the Koshur facts, and we argue instead that the origin of the CVC>CV and CVːC>CVː effects is the presence of a coda that branches from the final mora of a syllable, making the closed syllables more harmonic as prosodic heads. Under this view, branchingness emerges as another dimension of the mora, along with moraic quantity and the quality of segments linked to moras, which contributes to syllable prominence.
Interaction of Dietary Folate Intake, Alcohol, and Risk of Hormone Receptor-defined Breast Cancer in a Prospective Study of Postmenopausal Women

Alcohol intake is an established risk factor for breast cancer, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Four recent studies have described interactions of alcohol and low folate intake. We examined this interaction on the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer stratified by tumor receptor status for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR). The Iowa Women's Health Study is a prospective cohort study of 34,393 at-risk women. Alcohol use and folate intake from diet and supplements were estimated at baseline in 1986 through a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Through 1999, 1,875 cases of breast cancer were identified through linkage to the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. Compared with nondrinkers with folate intakes above the 50(th) percentile, women with low folate and high alcohol were at 1.43-fold greater risk (1.02-2.02). When stratified by tumor receptor status for ER or PR, the risks for low folate/high alcohol were 2.1 (1.18-3.85), 1.0 (0.76-1.42), 1.2 (0.88-1.70), and 1.2 (0.69-2.02) for ER-, ER+, PR+, and PR- tumors, respectively. Because the results were limited primarily to ER- tumors, one plausible interpretation of these data is that alcohol influences breast cancer through its metabolite, acetaldehyde, rather than through effects on ER levels and receptor-mediated pathways.
Research on preventing corrosion of electric tower caused by grounding current of DC electrode

If DC grounding electrode is near to the transmission corridor, DC current will flow through shielding wires and towers in different equipotentional surface, leading to erosion of the tower. Actual parameters of DC grounding electrode and its nearest AC transmission line of an ±800 kV ultra HVDC transmission project under construction is exmplified , The DC current flowing through each tower and its distribution character were studied . Results showed that the erossion quantity would be more with the increase of the resistivity of the middle earth layer and decrease of the grounding resistance of the tower, and the total erosion is not serious.In the end, some protective measurements are given.
Novel Design of a Prosthetic Foot Using Spring Mechanism

Mercer on Mission was the spark for construction of a prosthetic that provides added force during ambulation for amputee’s utilizing a prosthetic. This study attempts to design a novel prosthetic foot that has a spring mechanism in the ankle region of the device that allows for added force that is provided back to the patient as he or she ambulates. The design hopes to provide the patient operating on it a reasonable amount of range of motion with respect to the movements at the ankle including dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, and eversion. Proper testing of the prosthetic was done through Tekscan F-scan®, which is a plantar pressure analysis software. The analysis of the data showed that when the patient ambulated with the Spring Ankle Prosthetic (SAP), the force vs. percentage graph showed a reduced stance time, indicating that the springs within the ankle region of the prosthetic are functioning properly and helping aid the patient in ambulation.
Thermal Stresses in Materials Due to Laser Heating

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses various aspects of thermal stresses in materials because of laser heating. Stimulated emission requires that a substantial quantity of energy be injected into a system of atoms in order to excite the majority of atoms to higher energy states. As the atoms begin to drop to lower energy states, they spontaneously emit photons, which can stimulate other atoms to emit photons. The stimulated photons have exactly the same phase, frequency, polarization, and direction as the stimulating photons. Thermal stresses due to laser heating of a material play an important role in materials processing applications, and in laser component performance. Excessive thermal stress can lead to surface and subsurface cracking of a material and, hence, degrade its performance in a future application. The thermoelastic stress field is the sum of a particular stress field and a homogeneous stress field. The imposition of the zero shear stress boundary condition allows one to investigate only the radial and circumferential stress distributions in the surface plane. The chapter also discusses the problem of a half space heated with a laser beam having a mode structure that displays an azimuthal variation of energy.
A Laboratory Experiment for Rapid Determination of the Stability of Vitamin C

Experiments in laboratory manuals intended for general, organic, and biological (GOB) chemistry laboratories include few opportunities for students to engage in instrumental methods of analysis. Many of these students seek careers in modern health-related fields where experience in spectroscopic techniques would be beneficial. A simple, rapid, easily implemented experiment was developed to measure vitamin C levels in solutions using visible spectroscopy. When vitamin C is added to a mixed reagent containing Fe3+ and 1,10-phenanthroline, the vitamin C reduces the Fe3+ to Fe2+ which subsequently combines with the 1,10-phenanthroline to form a reddish-orange colored complex that is measured by visible spectroscopy at 510 nm. The experiment includes measurement of the stability of aqueous vitamin C solutions when exposed to long-term storage and to heat. Students in GOB laboratory classes were able to produce results with good precision. The experiment was also extended to include the measurement of vitamin C...
Solar sail equilibria with albedo radiation pressure in the circular restricted three-body problem

Abstract Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP) and albedo effects are investigated in the circular restricted three-body problem for a system consisting of the Sun, a reflective minor body and a solar sail. As an approximation of albedo radiation pressure (ARP), the minor body is treated as Lambertian with reflected flux scattered by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function. Incorporating ARP, which is a function of SRP, into the solar sail equations of motion renders additional artificial equilibrium points in a volume between the L 1 and L 2 points which is defined as the region of influence. Based on the model, characterization of the findings are provided that are theoretically applicable to any body with discernible albedo such as for instance Earth, Mars or an asteroid. Example results are presented for a Sun-Vesta system which show that the inclusion of ARP generates artificial equilibrium points requiring solar sail designs with very low mass-to-area ratio. The equilibrium points are found to be unstable in general but asymptotic stability may be enforced with sail attitude feedback control.
Overtraining affects male reproductive status

Objective To substantiate the hypothesis that strenuous exercise disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in men. Design Longitudinal study. Setting Normal human volunteers in an academic research environment. Patients Five endurance-trained men (maximum oxygen consumption 65.4 ± 3.6 mL/kg per minute [means ± SEM]) with normal spermatogenic and hormonal profiles. Interventions Semen and blood samples were collected bimonthly before, immediately after, and 3 months after overtraining, which was defined as twice the previous average weekly training volume with unchanged intensity. Main Outcome Measure Testosterone, cortisol, and sperm concentration. Results Basal T levels decreased to 5.37 ± 67 ng/mL from 8.68 ± 93 ng/mL (conversion factor to SI unit, 3.47) immediately after overtraining and basal cortisol levels increased to 215.3 ± 31 ng/mL from 145.7 ± 27 ng/mL (conversion factor to SI unit, 2.76). This inverse relationship was highly correlated (r = —0.92). Both cortisol and T levels returned to pretraining values 3 months after resumption of previous training volume. Sperm count (91 ± 23.3 × 106) decreased significantly by 43% immediately after overtraining (52 ± 6.8 × 106) and by 52% 3 months after overtraining (44.5 ± 20 × 106). However, all values remained within normal range and would not be expected to affect fertility. Conclusions Our results indicate that overtraining reduces T levels, which is highly correlated with an increase in levels of cortisol and possibly a subsequent decrease in sperm concentration 74 days later.
Superpixel sparse representation for target detection in hyperspectral imagery

Sparse Representation (SR) is an effective classification method. Given a set of data vectors, SR aims at finding the sparsest representation of each data vector among the linear combinations of the bases in a given dictionary. In order to further improve the classification performance, the joint SR that incorporates interpixel correlation information of neighborhoods has been proposed for image pixel classification. However, SR and joint SR demand significant amount of computational time and memory, especially when classifying a large number of pixels. To address this issue, we propose a superpixel sparse representation (SSR) algorithm for target detection in hyperspectral imagery. We firstly cluster hyperspectral pixels into nearly uniform hyperspectral superpixels using our proposed patch-based SLIC approach based on their spectral and spatial information. The sparse representations of these superpixels are then obtained by simultaneously decomposing superpixels over a given dictionary consisting of both target and background pixels. The class of a hyperspectral pixel is determined by a competition between its projections on target and background subdictionaries. One key advantage of the proposed superpixel representation algorithm with respect to pixelwise and joint sparse representation algorithms is that it reduces computational cost while still maintaining competitive classification performance. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SSR algorithm through experiments on target detection in the in-door and out-door scene data under daylight illumination as well as the remote sensing data. Experimental results show that SSR generally outperforms state of the art algorithms both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Exploring the role of neighborhood walkability on community currency activities: A case study of the crooked river alliance of TimeBanks

Abstract Social capital is increasingly considered a means to address important planning objectives such as societal wellbeing and livability. Community Currency (CC) is considered one of the most effective forms of social capital. Understanding factors contributing to CC participation is the key to promoting successful CC systems. Despite the well-documented work on the demographic, socioeconomic, and policy factors related to CC, the roles of the physical environment, such as neighborhood walkability, have not been explored. Using the survey data collected from 77 users and 42 nonusers of CC, this exploratory study examined how neighborhood walkability influenced the levels of CC activities and community attachment. After controlling for demographic factors, the analysis showed walking-friendly neighborhood features were positively related to CC membership and CC activities. Further, CC participants and those living in walking-friendly neighborhoods showed significantly higher levels of community attachment compared to their counterparts. The results suggest that neighborhood physical environments may function to deter or promote CC participation, and that an effective CC promotion strategy may involve targeting walkable communities.
Pharmacologic Interventions for Alcohol‐ and Cocaine‐Abusing Individuals

Eighteen outpatients dependent on both cocaine and alcohol were randomly assigned to disulfiram or naltrexone in an open pilot study. Disulfiram treatment resulted in significantly fewer days of alcohol and cocaine use, with longer sustained periods of abstinence from both substances.
Thin Film Deposition for Front End of Line: The Effect of the Semiconductor Scaling, Strain Engineering and Pattern Effects

Abstract Performance challenges of Moore’s Law and continuation of scaling in the microelectronics industry have a profound effect on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques and processes. This chapter covers two different topics which became increasingly important in the industry due to the scaling-related issues: the effect of intrinsic film stress on a semiconductor device, and the interaction of CVD deposition with pattern density. The chapter surveys new developments in highly strained thin dielectric films, deposition techniques, and material modification to meet the needs of microelectronics scaling and to ensure adequate control of CVD film thickness and properties. While the chapter uses mostly amorphous dielectric CVD films as an example, these two topics are applicable to many other CVD and atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes.
CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF HYBRID REVASCULARIZATIONS: A REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR DATA REGISTRY

Insights on use of hybrid coronary revascularization, defined as a combination of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), are limited. Among 1,080,405 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing PCI at 711 hospitals with CABG
Media influence on perception of driving risk and behaviors of adolescents and emerging adults

Abstract The current study examined the impact of exposure to dangerous driving behaviors via media on the perception of driving risk and driving behaviors by assessing 1356 male and female college students between the ages of 17 and 25. It was hypothesized that (a) increased media exposure to dangerous driving behaviors would be related to positive attitudes regarding risky driving behaviors as well as engaging in such behaviors and (b) media exposures would be related to participant attitudes, which, in turn, would be related to participants driving behaviors. Results of hierarchical regression analyses confirmed that media exposure to dangerous driving behaviors impact attitudes regarding driving and driving behaviors, while controlling for participant age and biological sex, with movie exposure playing a greater role than exposure via video games. A Test of Joint Significance confirmed that media exposure to dangerous driving behaviors influence participants attitudes regarding driving, which, in turn, impact reported driving behaviors. Theoretical explanations are discussed.
Nonparametric Statistical Methods, 2nd, Ed.

(2001). Nonparametric Statistical Methods, 2nd, Ed. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 259-259.
A maximum likelihood algorithm for reconstructing 3D structures of human chromosomes from chromosomal contact data

The development of chromosomal conformation capture techniques, particularly, the Hi-C technique, has made the analysis and study of the spatial conformation of a genome an important topic in bioinformatics and computational biology. Aided by high-throughput next generation sequencing techniques, the Hi-C technique can generate genome-wide, large-scale intra- and inter-chromosomal interaction data capable of describing in details the spatial interactions within a genome. These data can be used to reconstruct 3D structures of chromosomes that can be used to study DNA replication, gene regulation, genome interaction, genome folding, and genome function. Here, we introduce a maximum likelihood algorithm called 3DMax to construct the 3D structure of a chromosome from Hi-C data. 3DMax employs a maximum likelihood approach to infer the 3D structures of a chromosome, while automatically re-estimating the conversion factor (α) for converting Interaction Frequency (IF) to distance. Our results show that the models generated by 3DMax from a simulated Hi-C dataset match the true models better than most of the existing methods. 3DMax is more robust to structural variability and noise. Compared on a real Hi-C dataset, 3DMax constructs chromosomal models that fit the data better than most methods, and it is faster than all other methods. The models reconstructed by 3DMax were consistent with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments and existing knowledge about the organization of human chromosomes, such as chromosome compartmentalization. 3DMax is an effective approach to reconstructing 3D chromosomal models. The results, and the models generated for the simulated and real Hi-C datasets are available here: http://sysbio.rnet.missouri.edu/bdm_download/3DMax/ . The source code is available here: https://github.com/BDM-Lab/3DMax . A short video demonstrating how to use 3DMax can be found here: https://youtu.be/ehQUFWoHwfo .
The developing mind in action: measuring manual dynamics in childhood

Developmental theory has long emphasized the importance of linking perception, cognition, and action. Techniques designed to record the spatial and temporal characteristics of hand movements (i.e.,...
Decay of the X ( 3872 ) into χ c J and the operator product expansion in effective field theory

We consider a low-energy effective theory for the $X(3872)$ (XEFT) that can be used to systematically analyze the decay and production of the $X(3872)$ meson, assuming that it is a weakly bound state of charmed mesons. In a previous paper, we calculated the decays of $X(3872)$ into ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{cJ}$ plus pions using a two-step procedure in which Heavy Hadron Chiral Perturbation Theory ($\mathrm{HH}\ensuremath{\chi}\mathrm{PT}$) amplitudes are matched onto XEFT operators and then $X(3872)$ decay rates are calculated using these operators. The procedure leads to IR divergences in the three-body decay $X(3872)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{cJ}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ when virtual $D$ mesons can go on shell in tree level $\mathrm{HH}\ensuremath{\chi}\mathrm{PT}$ diagrams. In previous work, we regulated these IR divergences with the ${D}^{*0}$ width. In this work, we carefully analyze $X(3872)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{cJ}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ and $X(3872)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{cJ}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ using the operator product expansion in XEFT. Forward scattering amplitudes in $\mathrm{HH}\ensuremath{\chi}\mathrm{PT}$ are matched onto local operators in XEFT, the imaginary parts of which are responsible for the decay of the $X(3872)$. Here we show that the IR divergences are regulated by the binding momentum of the $X(3872)$ rather than the width of the ${D}^{*0}$ meson. In the operator product expansion, these IR divergences cancel in the calculation of the matching coefficients so the correct predictions for the $X(3872)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{c1}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ do not receive enhancements due to the width of the ${D}^{*0}$. We give updated predictions for the decay $X(3872)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{c1}\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\pi}$ at leading order in XEFT.
The Value of a Post-Treatment Whole Body Scan

The term post-treatment whole body scan (RxWBS) is used to define the whole body scan performed when the sole purpose of I-131 administration is to destroy a normal thyroid remnant or residual cancer. Unlike a diagnostic whole body scan (DxWBS), which is done 72 hours after administration of I-123 or I-131, an RxWBS is performed 4–7 days after I-131 therapy so that the isotope is cleared from normal tissues. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the rationale for performing an RxWBS when therapeutic I-131 is administered. Table 1 summarizes the main points from this chapter.
Systemic Factors and Barriers That Hamper Adequate Data Collection on the HIV Epidemic and Its Associated Inequalities in Countries With Long-Term Armed Conflicts: Lessons From Colombia

Although advances in treatment and diagnosis have transformed HIV into a chronic disease in high-income countries, a spectrum of structural, political, sociocultural, and health system barriers hamper early diagnosis and timely treatment of HIV in many middle- and low-income countries. In most Latin American countries, in spite of the great improvement in access to antiretroviral therapy, a large proportion of individuals infected with HIV do not know their status. In Colombia, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS currently estimates a much larger number of HIV cases than the number reported by Colombian authorities. Potential reasons for underdiagnosis and underreporting include sociocultural factors such as social stigma, restrictions in access to health care, a lack of public health research and robust surveillance systems, and the particular recent history and social situation related to the armed conflict the country has suffered through for several decades. Lessons from Colombia may be helpful in monitoring, understanding, and tackling the HIV epidemic in countries with long-term armed conflicts.
The transformation of religiosity in individuals with cognitive impairment

ABSTRACTReligion and spirituality are important components of life for many older adults; however, religious practices and involvement can be cognitively demanding. Those older adults who develop c...
Chapter 16 – Dyslipidemia Management in Women and Men: Exploring Potential Gender Differences

Publisher Summary Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in both men and women. Each year more than 250 000 women die of coronary heart disease (CHD). On average, women develop coronary atherosclerosis a decade later than men do, and on average they develop a myocardial infarction (MI) 10–15 years later than men do. The prior under-representation of women in clinical trials was associated with the general misconception that CHD was primarily a disease of men. While death rates from CVD are declining, more women die of CVD than their male counterparts, in part due to the delay in diagnosis and the older age at which women develop CVD. Although traditional risk factors for the development of CVD such as obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), cigarette smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation are similar in both genders, the impact of each individual risk factor and related interventions may differ dramatically by gender. Women also have inherent attributes that modify their CVD risk, such as menopausal status and the use of hormone therapy. This chapter first examines gender differences in CVD risk factors, then specifically focuses on dyslipidemia in women and the effects of estrogen on CVD risk, and finally addresses treatment guidelines for dyslipidemia. The major CVD risk factors include obesity and fat distribution, physical inactivity, diabetes mellitus (now considered a CHD equivalent), metabolic syndrome, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and inflammation. Family history has been known to be a risk factor for CHD and there is a strong correlation between certain genetic markers and development of CHD. The prevalence of CHD in men and women combined with effective available treatment options, emphasize the importance for physicians and patients to recognize and adequately treat CHD risk factors.
Destabilizing Pickering emulsions using fumed silica particles with different wettabilities.

Abstract Hypothesis Whereas hydrophobic colloidal particles are known to destabilize foams and emulsions stabilized with surfactants, their use for destabilizing Pickering emulsions is unexplored. Pickering emulsions differ from surfactant-stabilized emulsions because they are stabilized with colloidal particles that are adsorbed to the oil/water interface, which provide a steric barrier to droplet coalescence. This can make Pickering emulsions very stable, but it can also make their subsequent destabilization difficult. The hypothesis of this work is that destabilizing a Pickering emulsion should be possible with colloidal particles provided they are sufficiently hydrophobic, which will enable the particles to dewet an emulsion film and induce coalescence. Experiments A model oil-in-water Pickering emulsion was stabilized with polyethylene glycol-modified silica nanoparticles and its stability was assessed by centrifugation and by stirring on a stir plate. Three different fumed silica particles, A200 (bare, hydrophilic), R816 (hexadecylsilane modified, intermediate hydrophobicity), and R805 (octadecylsilane modified, hydrophobic), were added to the emulsion and stirred to evaluate their ability to macroscopically induce coalescence. Optical microscopy was used to visualize the interaction between the model Pickering emulsion and the three different fumed silica particles. Results The results from this work show there is a strong correlation between the wettability of a fumed silica particle and its ability to destabilize a model Pickering emulsion, with more hydrophobic particles showing a greater tendency to coalesce the Pickering emulsion. The hydrophilic and partially hydrophobic particles, at all concentrations tested, were unable coalesce the model Pickering emulsion. This was because the particles were almost immediately wetted by the continuous phase of the emulsion, which prevented any interactions between the emulsified oil drops and the silica particle surface. The hydrophobic fumed silica particles coalesced 60% of the emulsified oil with just 0.01 wt% added fumed silica, which further increased to 85% with 0.05 wt% added silica.
Pixel-wise deep learning for improving image reconstruction in photoacoustic tomography

Photoacoustic tomography involves absorption of pulsed light and subsequent generation of ultrasound, which when detected using an array of sensors can produce clinically useful images. Practical considerations limit the number of sensors and their “view” of the region of interest (ROI), which can result in significant reconstruction artifacts. Iterative-reconstruction methods can improve image quality but are computationally expensive. Another approach to improve reconstructed images is to use convolution neural networks (CNN) as a post-processing step for removing artifacts. However, missing or heavily obscured features typically cannot be recovered using this approach. We present a new pixel-wise deep learning (PDL) approach that employs pixel-wise interpolation to window ROI-specific raw photoacoustic data and then directly performs the image reconstruction within the CNN framework. The utility of this approach was demonstrated on simulated photoacoustic data from a 64-element semi-circular sensor array. The training and testing datasets comprised of 500 images from a synthetic vasculature phantom and 50 images of an anatomically realistic vasculature obtained from micro-CT images, respectively. The structural similarity index of the PDL-reconstructed images (0.91 ± 0.03) indicated superior image quality compared to those obtained using the iterative reconstruction (0.82 ± 0.09) and CNN-based artifact removal (0.79 ± 0.07).
Evaluating the Impact of Dissolved Oxygen and Aging on Dry-Hopped Aroma Stability in Beer

It is generally recognized within the brewing industry that hop aroma and flavor in beer changes as beer ages post-packaging. Lager beer staling has been studied extensively, while dry-hopped beer ...
Microrheological study of ternary surfactant-biosurfactant mixtures.

Objective The main objective of this paper is to understand the rheological impact of rhamnolipids biosurfactant (mono/dirhamnolipids mixture, CCB) on a common personal care mixed surfactants system: anionic sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and zwitterionic cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB). The ternary biosurfactant/surfactants mixtures were evaluated at three different formulation conditions. The experimental results can provide a formulation guideline when applying rhamnolipids in cosmetics and personal care products. Methods Traditional mechanical rheometer was used to measure bulk viscosity and lower frequency rheological behaviour of ternary surfactant mixtures. Diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) was utilized to access rheological responses at high frequency regime. Structural parameters such as contour length, entanglement length and persistence length of wormlike micelles in the anionic/zwitterionic/biosurfactant mixtures can be extracted from the rheological data gathered by DWS. Results Maxwellian type response was present in SLES/CAPB/CCB system which indicated the formation of wormlike micelle. Contour length of wormlike micelle formed by SLES/CAPB reduced from 445.8 to 88.37 nm with only 2 wt% addition of CCB. In the same system, viscosity decreased and shorter relaxation time were observed. Addition of sodium chloride built the viscosity of SLES/CAPB/CCB to an extent by screening charges between surfactant head groups. Highest viscosity of SLES/CAPB/CCB (10 wt%, 2wt% and 4wt% respectfully) was observed when sodium chloride concentration was at 4 wt%. In the same SLES/CAPB/CCB system, pH impacted the system's rheological response significantly. Due to the zwitterionic nature of CAPB, it became more cationic at lower pH while rhamnolipids became more nonionic. SLES still maintained its anionic nature at low pH and this promoted the interaction between CAPB and SLES. At lower pH, overall loss and storage modulus exhibited higher values while longer relaxation times were observed. Increase in micelles contour length under lower pH conditions were shown by the DWS data. Conclusion This preliminary rheological and microstructure study of the complex biosurfactant/surfactants ternary systems revealed the effect of formulation conditions on the mixtures rheological responses.
Influence of Gender on Perceptions of Barriers to a Police Patrol Career

Policing as an institution has been under immense pressure to increase the representation of women as police patrol officers. As the representation of women in policing has plateaued, increasing re...
Gap junctions deliver malonyl-CoA from soma to germline to support embryogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Gap junctions are virtually ubiquitous in metazoans and play critical roles in many important biological processes, including electrical conduction and development. Despite this ubiquity, only a small number of molecules passing through gap junction channels have been definitively linked to specific functions. We isolated gap junction channel mutants that reduce junctional coupling between the soma and germ cells in the C. elegans gonad. We use genetic methods to show that malonyl-CoA, the rate-limiting substrate for fatty acid synthesis (FAS), is produced in the soma and delivered through gap junctions to the germline; there it is used by fatty acid synthase to critically support embryonic development. Tissue separation of malonyl-CoA production from its site of utilization facilitates somatic control of germline development and reproduction. Further, our results suggest that this metabolic outsourcing may be a strategy by which the soma communicates nutritional status to the germline.
Non-psychopathology Related Outcomes Among Siblings of Individuals with Mental Illness: A Systematic Review

The current study consists of a systematic review of the quantitative literature on siblings of individuals with mental illness (MI). Despite the prevalence of mental illness, little is known about how siblings are specifically affected in areas of psychosocial, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. The review yielded 56 studies that examined outcomes such as behavior problems, the sibling relationship, caregiving experiences, and knowledge of mental illness among siblings. The majority of studies from the initial search were focused on siblings-as-comparison group, examining siblings for risk factors for developing mental illness. In total, the study samples covered a sibling age range of 6–81 and a patient age range of 4–84. About half (k = 27) of the included studies had samples primarily composed of siblings of individuals with schizophrenia, leaving other MI diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, and mood disorders underrepresented. However, results from comparison studies were mixed—half found that the MI-Sibs had fewer negative outcomes than the comparison group, and half found that MI-Sibs had more negative outcomes. Multiple factors, including female sibling gender, greater severity of MI symptoms, and belief in the patient’s ability to control their own behavior, were all related to more negative outcomes for MI-Sibs. Future work will focus on expanding the representativeness of MI-Sibs samples and analyzing experiences of both the sibling and the individual with MI.