cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Reconstruction of Kleiber’s Law at the Organ-Tissue Level

The relationship between resting energy expenditure (REE) (kJ/d) and body mass (M) (kg) is a corner-stone in the study of energy physiology. By expressing REE as a function of body mass observed across mammals, Kleiber formulated the now classic equation: REE = 293M 0.75 . The biological processes underlying Kleiber's law have been a topic of long-standing interest and speculation. In the present report we develop a new perspective of Kleiber's law by developing an organ-tissue level REE model consisting of five components: liver, brain, kidneys, heart and remaining tissues. The resting thermal output of each component is the product of the component's specific resting metabolic rate (K) and mass (T). With increasing body size, the K values for all five components had negative exponents and were directly proportional to M -0.08--0.27 , and all component T values were directly proportional to M 0.76-1.01 . The resulting exponents of the product (K x T) were M 0.60-0.86 for the five components. Although the (K x T) values of individual components do not scale equally, their combined formula (286M 0.76 ) is similar to that observed by Kleiber on the whole-body level. Modeling mammalian REE at the organ-tissue level provides new insights and pathways for future mechanistic explorations of REE-body composition relationships.
The influence of host diversity and composition on epidemiological patterns at multiple spatial scales

Spatial patterns of pathogen prevalence are determined by ecological processes acting across multiple spatial scales. Host-pathogen interactions are influenced by community composition, landscape structure, and environmental factors. Explaining prevalence patterns requires an understanding of how local determinants of infection, such as community composition, are mediated by landscape characteristics and regional-scale environmental drivers. Here we investigate the role of local community interactions and the effects of landscape structure on the dynamics of barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDV) in the open meadows of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. B/CYDV is an aphid-transmitted, generalist pathogen of over 100 wild and cultivated grass species. We used variance components analysis and model selection techniques to partition the sources of variation in B/ CYDV prevalence and to determine which abiotic and biotic factors influence host-pathogen interactions in a Cascades meadow system. B/CYDV prevalence in Cascades meadows varied by host species identity, with a significantly higher proportion of infected Festuca idahoensis individuals than Elymus glaucus or Bromus carinatus. Although there was significant variation in prevalence among host species and among meadows in the same meadow complex, there was no evidence of any significant variation in prevalence among different meadow complexes at a larger spatial scale. Variation in prevalence among meadows was primarily associated with the local community context (host identity, the relative abundance of different host species, and host species richness) and the physical landscape attributes of the meadow. These results highlight the importance of local host community composition, mediated by landscape characteristics such as meadow aspect, as a determinant of the spatial pattern of infection of a multi-host pathogen.
The Area of a Circle.

The geometrical shapes in Fig. 1 recently came into the Greenslade Collection. The semi‐triangular pieces of wood looked like slices from a pie, each 22.5° in angular width. They were tied together with a thin leather band tacked around their curved surfaces. What is this apparatus?
The Effect of pH and Heat on the Ultrastructure of Thick and Thin Hen’s Egg Albumen

Abstract Electron microscopy techniques were used to investigate the differences between thick and thin egg albumen at pH 7.4 and pH 9.0. There was no difference between the thick and thin raw albumens at either pH. The cooked thick and thin albumens at pH 7.4 were similar and were characterized by numerous large spherical osmiophilic structures. The cooked thick and thin albumens at pH 9.0 consisted of condensed particles which were embedded in a filamentous matrix. The thick albumen at pH 9.0 had smaller and more numerous asymetric particles than the thin albumen. The observed differences are attributed to changes in the heat lability of the various proteins and in the protein-protein complexes.
Multiple Level Nested Array: An Efficient Geometry for $2q$ th Order Cumulant Based Array Processing

Recently, direction-of-arrival estimation (DOA) algorithms based on arbitrary even-order (2q) cumulants of the received data have been proposed, giving rise to new DOA estimation algorithms, namely the 2q MUSIC algorithm. In particular, it has been shown that the 2q MUSIC algorithm can identify O(Nq) statistically independent non-Gaussian sources. However, in this paper, it is demonstrated that the processing power of the 2qth-order cumulant based methods can potentially be even larger. It will be shown that the 2qth-order cumulant matrix of the data is directly related to the concept of a 2qth-order difference co-array which can potentially have O(N2q) virtual sensors, leading to identification of O(N2q) statistically independent non-Gaussian sources using 2q th-order cumulants. However, the number of actually realizable virtual elements in the 2q th-order difference co-array depends on the geometry of the physical array. In order to ensure that the co-array indeed has the desired degrees of freedom, a new generic class of linear (one dimensional) nonuniform arrays, namely the 2qth-order nested array, is proposed, whose 2q th-order difference co-array is proved to contain a uniform linear array with O(N2q) sensors. In order to exploit these increased degrees of freedom of the co-array, a new algorithm for DOA estimation is also developed, which acts on the same 2q th-order cumulant matrix as the earlier methods and can yet identify O(N2q) sources. It is proved that the proposed method can identify the maximum number of sources among all methods that use 2q th-order cumulants.
Force sensing shell using a planar sensor for miniature legged robots

Mobile robot contact sensing can be useful for navigation and manipulation with small robots. In this work, we present a low-cost, 18.7 gram force-torque sensor for a 10 cm hexapedal millirobot. A planar array of photointerrupters, rigidly attached to the structure of the robot, is used to measure the six-axis movement of a shell attached to the robot with springs. The sensors measure the intensity of infrared light reflected off of a surface on the underside of the shell, which has been specially designed to enable the resolution of the forces and moments in the x-, y-, and z-axes applied to the shell. The sensor has a force sensitivity of 17 mN and torque sensitivity of 0.72 mN-m for a sampling rate of 100 Hz. The sensor can resolve a force equivalent to 2.9% of the combined robot and sensor weight of 581 mN.
Violence in the Suites: The Corporate Paradigm

Abstract This article examines violence “in the suites” of corporate America. It argues that the magnitude of corporate violence overshadows aggression, and lawbreaking transactions associated with street crime. Specifically, the paper looks at America's Prison Industrial Complex, and privatization as classic examples of the breadth and intensity of corporate malfeasance and structural violence. Suggestions are made on how to humanize the behavior of corporations.
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment for Pediatric Obesity

Obesity is a complex and retractable disease for which effective and durable treatments are elusive. Successful treatment of severe obesity with lifestyle modification therapy alone is highly unlikely, particularly for adolescents. Pharmacotherapy, if appropriately prescribed, can be an effective tool to use in conjunction with lifestyle modification therapy to achieve better weight loss outcomes. Only a few obesity medications have been evaluated in children and adolescents with results suggesting modest efficacy. However, a new pipeline of obesity drugs has been recently approved for use among adults. Among these, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) treatment appears to have reasonable weight loss efficacy along with other beneficial pleiotropic effects. Although larger trials will be required to confirm the results, two small pediatric clinical trials have suggested that GLP-1RA treatment may be useful in adolescents with severe obesity. Once sufficient evidence is generated supporting the safety and efficacy of GLP-1RAs and other obesity medications in youth, the pediatric medical community needs to become less resistant to the use of pharmacotherapy. Otherwise, poor outcomes will continue to be the norm.
Evolution Processes Information – Linking the Theory of Evolution and Information Theory

The article reformulates evolutionary fitness as information processes. This changes our understanding of evolutionary change, as it allows its formal expression as a communication process between the evolving system and its environment. Similar to how a communication process reveals a communicated message among possible messages, evolution reveals the surviving fittest member of a population. The amount of uncertainty reduced by evolution is quantified by 'negentropy', which turns into relative entropy and mutual information in the general cases. Bits and bytes become a quantifiable ingredient of evolutionary growth. More information between the population and its environment implies greater fitness. Information also turns out to be the link between the distinct population types in space and the unfolding environmental patterns in time.
Molecular Geometry and Melting Point Related Properties

Melting point and melting-related properties are important in many fields of research. However, they are relatively hard to predict. In this study, an intuitive and simple model, which integrates both additive group contribution values and nonadditive molecular geometric descriptors, has been developed for the estimation of the total enthalpy and entropy of melting as well as the melting point. This model is evaluated using the available reported values of 557 structurally diverse compounds from various molecular shape families. The predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental values of all 3 properties studied. The average absolute errors for the estimation of enthalpy and entropy of melting are 1.80 kJ/mol, 7.09 J/K mol, respectively. The average absolute error for predicting the melting point is 23.14 K, which is much less than that of the well-known EPI Suite program (60.29 K).
Effects of growth, fasting, and trauma on the concentrations of connective tissue hexosamine and water.

Summary1. The concentrations of hexosamine and water in connective tissue decrease with growth in the rat. There is a high degree of correlation between the concentrations of water and hexosamine in normal connective tissue. 2. Most traumatic agents (physical and chemical) effect a local non-specific increase in hexosamine and water concentrations. The degree of change of each of these constituents varies with the agent administered. Fasting does not influence this increase in hexosamine in response to local trauma, or the hexosamine concentration in untraumatized connective tissue. 3. Changes in the concentration of connective tissue hexosamine were not detectable following systemic stress (fracture).
The Face of African Infrastructure: Service Availability and Citizens' Demands

The need for infrastructure improvements is a top-tier economic, political, and social issue in nearly every African country. Although the academic and policy literature is extensive in terms of estimating the impact of infrastructure deficits on economic and social indicators, very few studies have examined citizen demands for infrastructure. In this paper, we draw upon survey data to move beyond topline estimates of national infrastructure access rates towards a more nuanced understanding of service availability and citizen demands at the regional, national, and sub-national level. We find a predictable pattern of infrastructure services across income levels — lower income countries have fewer services. The survey data also allows us to observe the sequencing of infrastructure services. On the demand side, survey respondents are most concerned with jobs and income-related issues, as well as with the availability of infrastructure: specifically transportation and sanitation. These priorities transcend demographic factors, including gender and location (urban/rural).
Determination of arsenic in urines quickly by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry assisted high pressure digestion

Objective To develop a method to determine trace arsenic in urines quickly by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry assisted high pressure digestion.Methods The samples were treated by pressure digestion,urea was used to dislodge nitrous acid,sodium hydroxide was used to neutralize excess nitric acid.The mixture of cysteine and thiourea were used fits reducing agent.Potassium borohydride was used reducing agent.Detect the arsenic in urines.Results In the operating conditions of choice,the detection limit of the method was 0.034μg/L,the recovery rate was greater than 95%,the relative standard deviation was less than 2%.Conclusion The method is rapid,accurate and reliable,which can meet the requirements for determination of arsenic in urines.
Scrub Typhus — Scientific Neglect, Ever-Widening Impact

Detection of scrub typhus, a vectorborne infectious disease, in Chile and Africa highlights the fact that we have heretofore paid too little attention to this systemic, life-threatening disease and have developed too little relevant expertise.
Versatile uses of a computerized graphic tablet system

The computerized graphic tablet is an example of hardware, developed for computer graphics systems, that has been utilized in a variety of biomechanics studies to increase the efficiency and accuracy of data collection. Although initially used exclusively for data collection from films, the graphic tablet and its supporting components now are being used to collect data from electrogoniograms, photographs, and drawings or tracings. A description of the components of the system and the techniques for accomplishing these applications are discussed.
GENO-37MOLECULAR PROFILING OF LONG-TERM SURVIVORS OF GLIOBLASTOMA

Few patients with glioblastoma survive beyond 5 years. In this project, the molecular features associated with these exceptional long term survivors (LTS) were evaluated. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma within the past 30 years surviving >= 5 years were identified from the Mayo tumor registry. Of 1176 patients with glioblastoma in the registry, 40 were LTS (median age 50.4 years; median survival 7.8 years). Pathology was reviewed and diagnosis confirmed by a certified neuropathologist (CG). Histology was fibrillary in 30 (75%) patients. Most (23, 58%) tumors were located in the frontal lobes. Gross total resection was achieved in 26 (65%). Adjuvant radiotherapy was delivered in 35 ( >= 60 Gy in 31). Temozolomide was given in 20 (50%) and BCNU in 12 (30%). In the 22 patients with tissue available for analysis (median age 49.2 years; median survival 7.0 years), TCGA molecular subtype breakdown from RNA extracts analyzed by Nanostring was: proneural 11, neural 0, classical 6, mesenchymal 2, and unknown 3 (insufficient RNA). Next-generation sequencing revealed the following mutations: 12 TERT, 12 ATRX, 12 TP53, 10 IDH, 8 PIK3CA/PIK3R1, 8 PTEN, 4 RB1, and 3 EGFR. 1p19q codeletion (determined via OncoScan assay), TERT, and IDH mutations were used to stratify patients into risk categories: 9 TERT-mutation only, 8 IDH-mutation only, 2 triple positive, and 3 triple negative. The frequency of IDH mutation in LTS (8/22) was significantly higher than observed in a contemporaneous cohort of short-surviving glioblastoma (32/470, p < 0.0001). All IDH mutations were in TCGA proneural patients. Long-term glioblastoma survival is enriched for patients with IDH-mutation only gliomas, although approximately half of tumors have molecular features associated with a more typical aggressive clinical course. Future studies are focused on understanding the mechanisms associated with prolonged survival in the TERT-mutation only tumors.
Comparative and Collaborative Studies on the Preparation of Hard Cheese Samples for Microbiological Assay Using a Plastic Pouch Technique

Hard and very hard cheese samples were prepared for microbiological examination by emulsification with sodium citrate solution in a polyethylene plastic pouch. Results were comparable to those obtained using a standard blender technique.
Exploring Animal Behavior in the Laboratory: Territoriality in Cichlids

Territoriality and the factors that influence the outcome of animal contests are easy to study in a lab using convict cichlid fish (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus). I present a two-week laboratory experiment suitable for high school and college students. In the first week, students observe resident and intruder convict cichlids interacting in the presence of flowerpot territories, allowing them to develop hypotheses about factors that might determine the outcome of contests over resources, including relative size of competitors (“resource holding potential” hypothesis) and ownership (“resource value” hypothesis). They then work with their teacher to design and set up an experiment to test these two hypotheses, providing specific predictions that would support each hypothesis. In the second week, students observe contests between each owner and a larger or smaller intruder. The winner is defined as the individual that spends the most time in the pot and bites more. Students graph their data and decide what statistics are most appropriate for analyzing their results. They determine which hypothesis is supported by their findings and present their findings in scientific paper format.
Wideband Decoupling Techniques for Dual-Polarized Bi-Static Simultaneous Transmit and Receive Antenna Subsystem

A wideband, bistatic, and dual-polarized simultaneous transmit and receive antenna subsystem with isolation >60 dB over 6–19 GHz band is demonstrated. The proposed configuration employs two quad-ridge horns fed by a ridge waveguide ortho-mode transducer (OMT) as transmitting (TX) and receiving (RX) antennas. The OMT enables dual-polarized high-power operation for the TX antenna over the entire bandwidth. The TX/RX antennas are flush mounted in a flat ground plane and oriented in D-plane to achieve similar isolation for both polarizations. Different decoupling techniques for increasing isolation between TX/RX antennas are investigated. Specifically, a high capacitive reactance bed of nails is designed to suppress TM polarized surface waves on the metallic ground plane. Moreover, a wideband planar and low-profile high-impedance surface is developed and performance thereof is compared to that of the other considered surfaces. Effect of recessing the RX antenna in an absorber is also discussed. Computational and experimental studies are conducted to demonstrate and validate the performance of the proposed antenna subsystem. Good impedance match, excellent radiation characteristics, and high isolation are achieved.
Household decision-making power and the mental health and well-being of women initiating antiretroviral treatment in Oromia, Ethiopia

Low decision-making power (DMP) has been associated with HIV seropositivity among women in sub-Saharan Africa. As treatment accessibility and life expectancy for HIV-positive individuals increase, greater attention to the mental health and well-being of HIV-positive women is needed. This study examined whether low DMP was associated with psychological distress, social support or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among women initiating ART. The sample included 722 women aged 18 or older initiating ART during 2012-2013 at six HIV clinics in Oromia, Ethiopia. DMP was assessed with five questions about household resource control and decision-making. Psychological distress was assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). HRQoL was assessed with the overall subscale of the HIV/AIDS-Targeted Quality of Life instrument. Multivariable logistic regression analyses controlled for age, education, and location (urban/rural). Most respondents (63%) reported high DMP, followed by medium (27%) and low (10%) DMP. More than half (57%) reported psychological distress. Compared to medium DMP, low DMP among married or cohabitating women was associated with greater odds of low social support (aOR: 1.9 [1.3, 2.9]; high DMP among women not in a relationship was associated with greater odds of low social support (aOR: 4.4 [2.4, 8.1]) and psychological distress (aOR: 1.7 [1.1, 2.6]). Interventions to reduce psychological distress among women initiating ART should consider the familial context, as high DMP among women not in a relationship was associated with psychological distress. High DMP may indicate weak social ties and fewer material resources, particularly among women not in a relationship.
25-Year Physical Activity Trajectories and Development of Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease as Measured by Coronary Artery Calcium: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Abstract Objective To evaluate 25-year physical activity (PA) trajectories from young to middle age and assess associations with the prevalence of coronary artery calcification (CAC). Patients and Methods This study includes 3175 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study who self-reported PA by questionnaire at 8 follow-up examinations over 25 years (from March 1985-June 1986 through June 2010-May 2011). The presence of CAC (CAC>0) at year 25 was measured using computed tomography. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify PA trajectories with increasing age. Results We identified 3 distinct PA trajectories: trajectory 1, below PA guidelines (n=1813; 57.1%); trajectory 2, meeting PA guidelines (n=1094; 34.5%); and trajectory 3, 3 times PA guidelines (n=268; 8.4%). Trajectory 3 participants had higher adjusted odds of CAC>0 (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.27; 95% CI, 0.95-1.70) vs those in trajectory 1. Stratification by race showed that white participants who engaged in PA 3 times the guidelines had higher odds of developing CAC>0 (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.21-2.67). Further stratification by sex showed higher odds for white males (OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.16-2.98), and similar but nonsignificant trends were noted for white females (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 0.79-3.71). However, no such higher odds of CAC>0 for trajectory 3 were observed for black participants. Conclusion White individuals who participated in 3 times the recommended PA guidelines over 25 years had higher odds of developing coronary subclinical atherosclerosis by middle age. These findings warrant further exploration, especially by race, into possible biological mechanisms for CAC risk at very high levels of PA.
Cell fate changes induced by a Distal-less enhancer-trap transgene in the Drosophila antennal imaginal disc

The imaginal discs of the genetically tractable model organism Drosophila melanogaster have been used to study cell-fate specification and plasticity, including homeotic changes and regeneration-induced transdetermination. The identity of the reprogramming mechanisms that induce plasticity has been of great interest in the field. Here we identify a change from antennal fate to eye fate induced by a Distal-less-GAL4 (DllGAL4) P-element insertion that is a mutant allele of Dll and expresses GAL4 in the antennal imaginal disc. While this fate change is not induced by tissue damage, it appears to be a hybrid of transdetermination and homeosis as the GAL4 expression causes upregulation of Wingless, and the Dll mutation is required for the fate change. Neither GAL4 expression nor a Dll mutation on its own is able to induce antenna-to-eye fate changes. This plasticity appears to be unique to the DllGAL4 line, possibly due to cellular stress induced by the high GAL4 expression combined with the severity of the Dll mutation. Thus, we propose that even in the absence of tissue damage, other forms of cellular stress caused by high GAL4 expression can induce determined cell fates to change, and selector gene mutations can sensitize the tissue to these transformations.
Prison Power: How Prison Influenced the Movement for Black Liberation, by Lisa M. Corrigan: Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 2016. 197 + xii pp. $30.00 (paper)

With the publication of books such as Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and the release of Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th, as well as mass mobi...
Primary Care Providers' Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations for Childhood Obesity Counseling

Abstract Background: Primary care providers have a role in the prevention and management of childhood obesity. We explored the relationship of providers' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and practice level support with childhood obesity counseling frequency. Methods: Providers (n=123) completed a survey that assessed their self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and reported obesity counseling frequency. A practice level assessment tool was used to characterize the practices. We analyzed data using frequencies and proportional odds modeling. Results: Providers were confident or very confident (78.5–93.5%) in their ability to counsel about healthy eating, physical activity, and weight and agreed or strongly agreed (64.2–86.2%) that their counseling would result in actual changes. Providers with higher outcome expectations were more likely [odds ratio (OR)=3.4] to report providing obesity counseling. Female providers were more likely to report counseling about obesity (OR=2.3) than males. Providers in prac...
Priorities of Development of Industry 4.0 in Modern Economic Systems with Different Progress in Formation of Knowledge Economy

The purpose of the article is to develop the priorities of development of Industry 4.0 in modern economic systems, characterized by different progress in the sphere of formation of knowledge economy. The methodology of the research includes the method of prioritizing and dialectical and logical methods, which are used for determining the logic of the process of Industry 4.0 development and priorities of managing this process depending on the progress in the sphere of formation of knowledge economy. For graphic interpretation of the conclusions and compiled recommendations, the authors use the method of formalization of data. The author classifies the goals of development of Industry 4.0 according to the criterion of advantages for knowledge economy and offer a logical scheme of development of Industry 4.0 in modern economic systems depending on the progress in the sphere of formation of knowledge economy. As a result, it is concluded that management of development of Industry 4.0 should be conducted in view of the achieved progress in the sphere of formation of knowledge economy. The offered priorities and the developed logical scheme of managing the development of Industry 4.0 in modern economic systems depending on the progress in the sphere of formation of knowledge economy takes into account this peculiarity and allows using it in the best way for the economic system. They allow for successful adaptation of this process to any economic systems due to flexibility of management.
A Tricky Diagnosis

A Tricky Diagnosis A 70-year-old man presented to an ED with a 2-day history of subjective fever, nonproductive cough, and chest pressure.
Abstract WP164: Spontaneous Cervical Artery Dissection in Individuals of African Ancestry

Introduction: The pathogenesis of spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCeAD), a common cause of stroke in young adults, is poorly understood. The majority of published data in sCeAD derive from...
DNA Mining and genealogical information systems: Not just for finding family ethnicity

The primary expected use of DNA and genealogy sites has been their ability to help users find their family, find their ethnicity and to help them connect with distant relatives. In so doing such sites help users to “learn more about themselves.” Such systems have also been proposed to have the broader goals of helping connect mankind and show people how their similarities are greater than their differences. However, the use of DNA and genealogy information recently turned away from just finding family connections, ethnicity and origins. Recently it was announced that the “Golden State Killer” had been caught using information generated from using DNA and consumer genealogical websites. This paper investigates some of the questions and unanticipated consequences raised by this alternative use of these technologies and their impact on individuals, organizations and society. As part of that analysis we analyze some of the immediate consequences on the firm from which the DNA information was gathered, the new emerging approach used by law enforcement, some privacy concerns and provide a network game formulation as a means to model user behavior. Finally, we examine some potential emerging research issues.
Noninvasive Neuromodulation of Peripheral Nerve Pathways Using Ultrasound and Its Current Therapeutic Implications

This review describes work from several research groups in which ultrasound is being used to target the peripheral nervous system and perform neuromodulation noninvasively. Although these techniques are in their infancy compared to implant-based and electrical nerve stimulation, if successful this new noninvasive method for neuromodulation could solve many of the challenges facing the field of bioelectronic medicine. The work outlined herein shows results in which two different (potentially therapeutic) targets are stimulated, a neuroimmune pathway within the spleen and a nutrient/sensory pathway within the liver. Both data and discussion are provided that compare this new noninvasive technique to implant-based nerve stimulation.
Association between in utero perfluoroalkyl substance exposure and anti-Müllerian hormone levels in adolescent females in a British cohort.

Abstract Evidence indicates that in utero environmental exposures could influence reproduction in female offspring. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic, ubiquitous endocrine disrupting chemicals that can cross the placental barrier. Lower levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), a biomarker of ovarian reserve, are associated with reduced fertility. We investigated the association between in utero PFAS exposure and AMH levels in female adolescents using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a British pregnancy cohort recruited between 1991 and 1992. Maternal serum samples were collected during pregnancy and analyzed for concentrations of commonly found PFAS—perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). AMH levels were measured in serum of female offspring (mean age, 15.4 years) and log-transformed for analyses. We used a sample of 446 mother-daughter dyads for multivariable linear regression analyses, controlling for maternal age at delivery, pre-pregnancy body-mass index, and maternal education. Multiple imputation was utilized to impute missing values of AMH (61.2%) and covariates. Median PFAS concentrations (ng/mL) were as follows: PFOS 19.8 (IQR:15.1, 24.9), PFOA 3.7 (IQR: 2.8, 4.8), PFHxS 1.6 (IQR: 1.2, 2.2), PFNA 0.5 (IQR: 0.4, 0.7). The geometric mean AMH concentration was 3.9 ng/mL (95% CI: 3.8, 4.0). After controlling for confounders, mean differences in AMH per one ng/mL higher PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA were 3.6% (95% CI: 1.4%, 8.6%), 0.7% (95% CI: 0.2%, 1.5%), 0.9% (95% CI: 0.4%, 2.2%), and 12.0% (95% CI: 42.8%, 66.8%) respectively. These findings suggest there is no association between in utero PFAS exposure and AMH levels in female adolescents.
Intent term selection and refinement in e-commerce queries.

In e-commerce, a user tends to search for the desired product by issuing a query to the search engine and examining the retrieved results. If the search engine was successful in correctly understanding the user's query, it will return results that correspond to the products whose attributes match the terms in the query that are representative of the query's product intent. However, the search engine may fail to retrieve results that satisfy the query's product intent and thus degrading user experience due to different issues in query processing: (i) when multiple terms are present in a query it may fail to determine the relevant terms that are representative of the query's product intent, and (ii) it may suffer from vocabulary gap between the terms in the query and the product's description, i.e., terms used in the query are semantically similar but different from the terms in the product description. Hence, identifying the terms that describe the query's product intent and predicting additional terms that describe the query's product intent better than the existing query terms to the search engine is an essential task in e-commerce search. In this paper, we leverage the historical query reformulation logs of a major e-commerce retailer to develop distant-supervised approaches to solve both these problems. Our approaches exploit the fact that the significance of a term is dependent upon the context (other terms in the neighborhood) in which it is used in order to learn the importance of the term towards the query's product intent. We show that identifying and emphasizing the terms that define the query's product intent leads to a 3% improvement in ranking. Moreover, for the tasks of identifying the important terms in a query and for predicting the additional terms that represent product intent, experiments illustrate that our approaches outperform the non-contextual baselines.
Interface-Enrichment-Induced Instability and Drug-Loading-Enhanced Stability in Inhalable Delivery of Supramolecular Filaments

Filamentous microorganisms traveling in aerosol particles display enhanced deposition and retention in the lungs. Inspired by this shape-related biological effect, we report here on the use of supramolecular filaments as potential inhalable drug carriers within aerosols via jet nebulization. We found that the peptide design and supramolecular stability play a crucial role in the interfacial stability and aerosolization properties of the supramolecular filaments. Monomeric units with a positively charged C-terminus produced filaments with reduced aerosol stability, promoting morphological changes after nebulization. Conversely, having a neutral or negatively charged terminus yielded filaments with enhanced stability, where supramolecular integrity is maintained with only reduced length. Our results suggest that molecular enrichment at the air-liquid interface during nebulization is the primary factor to deplete the monomeric peptide amphiphiles in solution, accounting for the observed morphological disruption/transitions. Importantly, encapsulation of drugs and dyes within filaments notably stabilize their supramolecular structure during nebulization, and the loaded filaments exhibit a linear release profile from a nebulizer device. We envision the use of this supramolecular carrier system as an effective platform for the inhalation-based treatment of many lung diseases.
The Measure of Machiavelli? Fear, Love, Hatred, and Trump:

The rise of populist leaders like Trump certainly raises issues of leadership and effectiveness. The current populist moment may be one of “Cultural Backlash,” but there is also merit in resurrecti...
Clinical experience with a novel assay measuring cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell immunity by flow cytometry and intracellular cytokine staining to predict clinically significant CMV events.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most common opportunistic infections following organ transplantation, despite administration of CMV prophylaxis. CMV-specific T-cell immunity (TCI) has been associated with reduced rates of CMV infection. We describe for the first time clinical experience using the CMV T-Cell Immunity Panel (CMV-TCIP), a commercially available assay which measures CMV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses, to predict clinically significant CMV events. Adult (> 18-year-old) patients with CMV-TCIP results and ≥ 1 subsequent assessment for CMV DNAemia were included at Brown University and the University of Maryland Medical Center-affiliated hospitals between 4/2017 and 5/2019. A clinically significant CMV event was defined as CMV DNAemia prompting initiation of treatment. We excluded indeterminate results, mostly due to background positivity, allogeneic hematopoetic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, or patients who were continued on antiviral therapy against CMV irrespective of the CMV-TCIP result, because ongoing antiviral therapy could prevent a CMV event. We analyzed 44 samples from 37 patients: 31 were solid organ transplant recipients, 4 had hematologic malignancies, 2 had autoimmune disorders. The CMV-protection receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) was significant for %CMV-specific CD4+ (AUC: 0.78, P < 0.001) and borderline for CD8+ (AUC: 0.66, P = 0.064) T-cells. At a cut-off value of 0.22% CMV-specific CD4+ T-cells, positive predictive value (PPV) for protection against CMV was 85% (95%CI 65–96%), and negative predictive value (NPV) was 67% (95%CI 41–87%). The CMV-TCIP, in particular %CMV-specific CD4+ T-cells, showed good diagnostic performance to predict CMV events. The CMV-TCIP may be a useful test in clinical practice, and merits further validation in larger prospective studies.
Raman spectroscopy for detection of ammonium nitrate as an explosive precursor used in improvised explosive devices.

Abstract Raman spectroscopy was evaluated as a sensor for detection of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3, AN), fuel oil (FO), AN-water solutions, and AN- and FO-soil mixtures deposited on materials such as glass, synthetic fabric, cardboard and electrical tape to simulate field conditions of explosives detection. AN is an inorganic oxidizing salt that is commonly used in fertilizers and mining explosives, however, due to its widespread accessibility, AN-based explosives are also utilized for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IED). Pure AN crystals were ground to powder size and deposited on several substrates for Raman analysis, whereas FO was analysed in a quartz cuvette. To simulate field conditions samples of powdered AN, AN-water solutions (0.1% to 10.0% AN w/w), AN-soil (50% to 90% AN w/w) and FO-soil (50% to 75% FO w/w) were prepared and deposited on the clutter materials. Raman spectra were acquired at integration times between 0.1 and 30 s, and 3 replicate Raman measurements were carried out for each sample. The spectral window observed ranged from 300 to 3800 cm−1. Several characteristic Raman bands were found, namely, at 710 cm−1 (NO3−) and 1040 cm−1 (NO3−) for AN; 1440–1470 cm−1 (CH) and 2800–3000 cm−1 (CH) for FO; 3000–3500 cm−1 (OH) for water; and 615 cm−1 (CCl), 1254 cm−1 (CH), 1400 cm−1 (CH2) and 1600 cm−1 (aromatic ring) for polyvinyl chloride (PVC, electrical tape). The effect of the AN concentration and integration time on the total and net Raman intensities, relative standard deviation, signal-to-noise ratio and relative limit of detection was evaluated. The relative limit of detection of AN in water was 0.1% (1 mg/g), and absolute limit of detection was 1.0 μg. The optimum integration time (≈10 s) for the Raman sensor to capture the analyte signals was estimated based on the Raman figures of merit as a function of the integration time.
Paraxial optics of charged particles in solenoids

Paraxial optics of charged particles in solenoid magnets with axisymmetric field is considered. Analytic and symplectic transverse maps for charged particle motion through solenoids with 3D magnetic fields have been derived. The formula for transverse maps contains both linear and nonlinear effects caused by entrance and exit fringe fields of the solenoid. The explicit transfer map can be used for applications of accelerator physics that use solenoid magnets.
Distinctive trajectories of COVID-19 epidemic by age and gender: a retrospective modeling of the epidemic in South Korea

Objectives: Elderly people had suffered disproportional burden of COVID-19. We hypothesized that males and females in different age groups might have different epidemic trajectories. Methods: Using publicly available data from South Korea, daily new COVID-19 cases were fitted with generalized additive models, assuming Poisson and negative binomial distributions. Epidemic dynamics by age and gender groups were explored with interactions between smoothed time terms and age and gender. Results: A negative binomial distribution fitted the daily case counts best. Interaction between the dynamic patterns of daily new cases and age groups was statistically significant (p<0.001), but not with gender group. People aged 20-39 years led the epidemic processes in the society with two peaks: one major peak around March 1 and a smaller peak around April 7, 2020. The epidemic process among people aged 60 or above was trailing behind that of younger people with smaller magnitude. After March 15, there was a consistent decline of daily new cases among elderly people, despite large fluctuations of case counts among young adults. Conclusions: Although young people drove the COVID-19 epidemic in the whole society with multiple rebounds, elderly people could still be protected from virus infection after the peak of epidemic.
SNP Calling via Read Colored de Bruijn Graphs

Motivation: The resistome, which refers to all of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria, is frequently studied using shotgun metagenomic data [14, 47]. Unfortunately, few existing methods are able to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within metagenomic data, and to the best of our knowledge, no methods exist to detect SNPs within AMR genes within the resistome. The ability to identify SNPs in AMR genes across the resistome would represent a significant advance in understanding the dissemination and evolution of AMR, as SNP identification would enable "fingerprinting" of the resistome, which could then be used to track AMR dynamics across various settings and/or time periods. Results: We present LueVari, a reference-free SNP caller based on the read colored de Bruijn graph, an extension of the traditional de Bruijn graph that allows repeated regions longer than the k-mer length and shorter than the read length to be identified unambiguously. We demonstrate LueVari was the only method that had reliable sensitivity (between 73% and 98%) as the performance of competing methods varied widely. Furthermore, we show LueVari constructs sequences containing the variation which span 93% of the gene in datasets with lower coverage (15X), and 100% of the gene in datasets with higher coverage (30X). Availability: Code and datasets are publicly available at https://github.com/baharpan/cosmo/tree/LueVari.
Application of deep-ultraviolet microscopy in hematological assessment of neutropenia

Neutropenia is a condition where the hematopoietic system has a suppressed production of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that is critical for fighting infections. This condition affects half to nearly eighty percent of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, depending on the type of malignancy. Neutropenia can also be congenital or acquired from autoimmune disorders or nutritional deficits, in addition to cancer. Neutropenia, formally defined as <1500 neutrophils/µL in peripheral blood, puts patients at an increased risk of life-threatening infections. Thus, it is critical to constantly monitor neutrophil counts for many patients. Hematological analysis of neutropenia is performed by highly trained personnel at certified laboratories via complete blood count (CBC) and visual inspection which require complex, time-consuming, and expensive sample preparation and instrumentation. Thus, an easy-to-use, label- and reagent-free, and inexpensive hematology analysis device is highly desirable to circumvent these limitations and allow point-of-care disease monitoring and diagnosis. In this work, we demonstrate the application of deep-ultraviolet (UV) microscopy as label-free method for rapid and facile neutropenia detection. Our approach provides key hematological information and enables quantitative assessment of live blood cells based on their molecular and structural signatures in minutes. Here we show the ability of deep-UV microscopy to clearly identify patients with moderate and severe neutropenia based on an automated blood smear analysis. We also demonstrate a pseudo-colorization scheme which recapitulates the gold-standard Giemsa stains and allows visual inspection and enumeration of various blood cells types. This work has significant implications for developing a simple and low-cost point-of-care device that can ultimately improve the care and quality of life of many neutropenia and cancer patients.
Systemic Arterial Correlates of Cervical Carotid Artery Tortuosity : The Northern Manhattan Study

The association between cervical internal carotid artery (cICA) tortuosity and atherosclerosis is a matter of debate. Additionally, some genetic syndromes characterized by connective tissue remodeling are associated with arterial tortuosity, raising the possibility that cICA tortuosity may not only be atherosclerotic. In this study, we hypothesized that cICA tortuosity is not associated with imaging biomarkers of atherosclerosis. The Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) was a prospective, multiethnic cohort of stroke-free individuals who underwent brain MRA, carotid ultrasound and transthoracic echocardiogram from 2003–2008. The cICA tortuosity was scored in each carotid as 0 = no tortuosity, 1 = tortuosity 0). The cICA tortuosity score was higher in women and was associated with diastolic and systolic blood pressures and height (all P < 0.05). In models adjusted for demographics and risk factors, only the association with diastolic blood pressure remained significant (β = 0.002, P = 0.02). Similarly, cICA tortuosity was associated with larger aortic root diameter (B = 1.03 ± 0.36, P = 0.004) but not with other markers of carotid or aortic atherosclerosis. Cervical ICA tortuosity is associated with a higher diastolic blood pressure and larger aortic root diameter but not with other measures of atherosclerosis. Determining the risks of vascular events associated with this non-atherosclerotic phenotype may help for a better risk stratification for individuals with cICA tortuosity.