cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combined influence of pore size distribution and surface hydrophilicity on the water adsorption characteristics of micro- and mesoporous silica

Abstract Adsorption processes are ubiquitous in nature as well as of great technological importance for gas separation, purification, storage and thermally driven heat pumps. This has led to a strong interest in the fundamental mechanisms governing adsorption phenomena and their exploitation to tailor adsorption systems for specific applications. In particular, the adsorption of water on porous silica exhibits remarkable properties due to the strong polarity of the adsorbate and moderate hydrophilicity of the adsorbent. It is generally accepted that the adsorption of water vapor on porous silica depends upon the concentration of surface silanols and the pore size. In fact, materials with ordered mesopores and a well-defined pore size have been used as model systems to demonstrate that water adsorption occurs predominantly through capillary condensation. While the pore surface chemistry is modified to become more hydrophilic after filling of the pores in these materials, the overall shape of the water adsorption isotherm (Type V) is not significantly affected in subsequent adsorption measurements. The present contribution shows that conservation of the isotherm shape is a unique phenomenon related to ordered mesopores but doesn't apply to materials with a more complex pore structure. For materials with wider pore size distributions including micropores, a synergistic effect of surface hydroxylation and pore size leads to a dramatic change in the water adsorption isotherm after the first adsorption/desorption cycle. In fact, we demonstrate that the water cycling capacity at relative pressures below the onset of capillary condensation increases significantly in these systems. These results contribute to a fundamental understanding of water adsorption in complex systems and have important implications in applications such as adsorption heat pumps where a large water cycling capacity in a specific relative pressure window is required.
Estimating Measurement Precision in Reduced-Length Multistage-Adaptive Testing

The extent to which reducing the number of items in a multi-stage adaptive test (MST) affected measurement precision was evaluated. Using the Massachusetts Adult Proficiency Test for Reading (MAPT), a low-stakes MST in adult education, reliability, decision consistency, and decision accuracy estimates were compared for the original and reduced-length tests (from 40 to 35 items). Four different approaches were used: (1) the Spearman-Brown formula, (2) eliminating one item of average discrimination from consecutive stages, (3) completely reassembling new panels, and (4) simulating item responses to the original and shortened MSTs and comparing the standard errors of measurement for simulated examinees. Overall, results suggested comparable levels of measurement precision, improved content representation, and reduced testing time were achievable using the reduced-length tests. The Spearman-Brown estimates were surprisingly close to the estimates based on assembling new panels. Methods for assembling an MST to maintain measurement precision and practical lessons that could generalize to MSTs in other contexts are discussed. Keywords: multi-stage adaptive testing, reliability, decision consistency, decision accuracy, response time, test development, validity.
Intracranial venous injury, thrombosis and repair as hallmarks of mild blast traumatic brain injury in rats: Lessons from histological and immunohistochemical studies of decalcified sectioned heads and correlative microarray analysis.

Abstract Background Many previous experimental studies of blast wave effects have reported vascular and parenchymal injury in brains extracted from the skulls prior to histopathological assessment. Brain removal disrupts vasculature and structural features of the meninges that may be sources of signs and symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury, particular at lower blast overpressures ( New method Immunohistochemical and histopathological studies have been conducted in sections from decalcified, paraffin embedded, histologically sectioned whole rat heads. These sections preserve the entire cranial contents in situ, and permit evaluation of the inner ear, central nervous system and associated vasculature. The findings could also be correlated with mRNA expression patterns from whole brains subjected to similar treatment. Results Lower levels of blast wave exposure produce primarily vascular effects in rats. Messenger RNA profiles of the whole brains showed evidence of both blast intensity and time dependent effects on vascular wound healing markers. The rats exposed to 10–11 psi overpressure tended to show a similar pattern of mRNA expression changes in these vascular repair and inflammatory pathways as rats exposed to approximately 5 psi overpressure, but the changes were greater. The changes in mRNA expression after a 14–15 psi exposure were different and suggestive of more severe injury, particularly for DNA repair, lymphocyte activation and lymphocyte migration pathways. Histopathological examination of decalcified heads revealed that even 2.5–7.9 psi blast exposures produced a high prevalence of mild venous hemorrhage and thrombosis (accompanied by inflammatory markers) in the inner ear, vertebrobasilar circulation, hippocampal choroidal fissure and the veins associated with velum interpositum. Comparison with existing method(s) The sites of vascular injury would not have been included in specimens extracted from the skull prior to processing. Conclusions The isolated regions of intravascular coagulation in small veins and the isolated, very small venous hemorrhages in the subarachnoid space are worthy of consideration as factors in both healing and chronic sequelae of mild blast concussion. Although small, remnants persisted in the subarachnoid space even 42 days after a single blast exposure. The high prevalence of very mild subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage may be a target for clinical management.
High throughput microscopy identifies bisphenol AP, a bisphenol A analog, as a novel AR down-regulator.

// Fabio Stossi 1 , Radhika D. Dandekar 1 , Michael J. Bolt 1 , Justin Y. Newberg 1 , Maureen G. Mancini 1 , Akash K. Kaushik 1 , Vasanta Putluri 1 , Arun Sreekumar 1 , Michael A. Mancini 1 1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA Correspondence to: Michael A. Mancini, e-mail: mancini@bcm.edu Keywords: androgen receptor, bisphenol A analogs, high throughput microscopy, AR-V7, castrate resistant prostate cancer Received: July 05, 2015 Accepted: January 17, 2016 Published: February 24, 2016 ABSTRACT Prostate cancer remains a deadly disease especially when patients become resistant to drugs that target the Androgen Receptor (AR) ligand binding domain. At this stage, patients develop recurring castrate-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs). Interestingly, CRPC tumors maintain dependency on AR for growth; moreover, in CRPCs, constitutively active AR splice variants ( e.g., AR-V7) begin to be expressed at higher levels. These splice variants lack the ligand binding domain and are rendered insensitive to current endocrine therapies. Thus, it is of paramount importance to understand what regulates the expression of AR and its splice variants to identify new therapeutic strategies in CRPCs. Here, we used high throughput microscopy and quantitative image analysis to evaluate effects of selected endocrine disruptors on AR levels in multiple breast and prostate cancer cell lines. Bisphenol AP (BPAP), which is used in chemical and medical industries, was identified as a down-regulator of both full length AR and the AR-V7 splice variant. We validated its activity by performing time-course, dose-response, Western blot and qPCR analyses. BPAP also reduced the percent of cells in S phase, which was accompanied by a ~60% loss in cell numbers and colony formation in anchorage-independent growth assays. Moreover, it affected mitochondria size and cell metabolism. In conclusion, our high content analysis-based screening platform was used to classify the effect of compounds on endogenous ARs, and identified BPAP as being capable of causing AR (both full-length and variants) down-regulation, cell cycle arrest and metabolic alterations in CRPC cell lines.
Caveats concerning conjugate stress and strain measures for frame indifferent anisotropic elasticity

Small-distortion constitutive laws are often extemporaneously generalized to large deformations by merely applying them in the unrotated material frame or, equivalently, by using polar rates. This approach does render the resulting constitutive model indifferent to large superimposed rigid rotations, but it may lead to incorrect predictions for both the magnitude and direction of stress whenever there is significant material distortion. To demonstrate this claim, an exact large-deformation solution is derived for the stress in an idealized fiber-reinforced composite. This example shows that the Cauchy tangent stiffness tensor (corresponding to the conjugate pair of Cauchy stress and the symmetric part of the velocity gradient) must evolve in both magnitude and direction whenever the material distorts. Volume changes necessarily lead to a loss of major-symmetry of this Cauchy tangent stiffness tensor, which can be rectified by instead using specific or Kirchhoff stress. A previous work that correctly pointed out the need for the Cauchy stiffness tensor to distort is shown to have overlooked an additional contribution from the rate of distortion. Some of the anomalous properties of the Cauchy stiffness tensor are eradicated by instead using the second Piola-Kirchhoff stress or, equivalently, convected coordinates. Such an approach, however, demands accurate measurements of large-distortion material response, not only to obtain physically realistic results, but also to avoid potential instabilities in numerical computations.
Hybridization in Buntings (Passerina) in North Dakota and Eastern Montana

THE Indigo and Lazuli Buntings (Passerina cyanea and P. amoena) are closely related complementary species that breed chiefly in the eastern half and western half, respectively, of the contiguous United States. Their breeding ranges overlap in the southern Great Plains, and hybrid-ization there has been described by Sibley and Short (1959) from southern Nebraska and northeastern Colorado through the western two-thirds of South Dakota. This present study extends documentation of hybridization northward into North Dakota and eastern Montana, and discusses the identification of hybrid characteristics in buntings. Phenotypic characteristics of specimens from extreme eastern and western United States are described and compared with those from the overlap area to elucidate variations resulting from hybridization. The term hybridization as used in this paper is defined broadly as interbreeding between individuals of morphologically and genetically distinct populations and also interbreeding between hybrids and pures or between hybrids. Thus a hybrid could be F1 (Indigo X Lazuli), a backcross (F1 x Indigo or F1 X Lazuli), or a specimen representing any combination of Indigo and Lazuli genes. Both species occur around brushy vegetation along the edges of woodlands. Their songs and calls, general behavior, and nests and eggs are similar. Songs of the two species differ slightly, that of the Lazuli being approximately one and one-half times as fast as the song of the Indigo (Thompson 1969). In North Dakota the Lazuli's song seems to be more choppy and shorter-i to 2 sec vs. 2 to 3 sec in the Indigo. In a fewcases I noted atypical songs that turned out to be from obviously hybrid specimens. Recently male Indigos have been recorded quite often west to the Pacific coast-in California: May 1950 (Cardiff 1951), June 1956 and 1957 (Bleitz 1958), February 1959 (Williams 1961), January 1963 (Wilbur 1963); in Washington: same bird in June and July 1958 (Calder 1966); and in Nevada: June 1940 and 1951 (Richardson 1952). Sibley and Short (1959) listed more western records including the western Great Plains. In addition, Audubon Field Notes contains several Indigo records in the far west. Lazulis have apparently been much less frequent in eastern localities, and I know of no Lazuli records east of the Mississippi River.
Monitoring Analysis of Drinking Water in Haizhu District of Guangzhou during 2006-2009

[Objective]To analyze the water quality of tap water and secondary water supply,study the changing characteristics in different years and seasons,provide a scientific basis for the prevention of water pollution incidents.[Methods]The monitoring data of water quality of tap water and secondary water supply in Haizhu district during 2006-2009 were analyzed statistically,the Standard Examination Methods for Drinking Water and the Standard for Drinking Water Quality was applied to test and evaluate.[Results]The qualified rate of tap water was 87.67% with the lowest in 2009 (77.11%) and the highest in 2006 (97.62%).The qualified rate of secondary water supply was 84.04%,and there was no significant difference among years.[Conclusion]The water quality of drinking water is at a general level in this district.The health management of drinking water should be strengthened,and the water pollution incidents should be controlled strictly.
Recent progress in application and research of food toxicology in China

Science and technology of food toxicology in China has developed rapidly in recent years.Nowadays, food toxicology has played an important role in ensuring food safety and human life health, maintaining environment friendly and ecological balance,promoting the sustainable development of economy.It has updated and improved Chinese food related toxicological evaluation procedures, guidelines and management regulations, bringing food safety risk assessment system preliminaly established. Meanwhile, cell toxicological method and toxicology omics has become an important research tool of food toxicology,so did biomarker in epidemiological study.Also, transgenic mouse models using in carcinogenicity studiedes have showed significant superiority and alternative method in vitro research has got further development.This article is planedto review resent advance of technique applications and reasearch of food toxicology in Chinese.
Developing Distinctive Degrees

Understanding one's competitive stance in a globally competitive environment provides the requisite awareness to maintain both competitive edge and institutional responsiveness. In this chapter, three case studies are presented to provide examples of ways in which strategic scanning can enhance the academic program development process and how offices of institutional research may assist in launching potentially distinctive academic degrees.
Overview of the Pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations and manifestations that can affect virtually any organ or tissue of the body. The disease has a waxing and waning course and carries significant morbidity and mortality from some of its complications. A key characteristic of SLE is the presence of aberrant immune responses, most notably against endogenous nuclear antigens, which lead to the formation of antibodies against self-components (autoantibodies). Along with an inadequate clearance, the deposition in the tissue of immune complexes formed between autoantibodies and self-antigens can cause local inflammation and subsequent tissue/organ damage. This chapter provides a schematic overview of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, including the interaction among genetic, epigenetic, hormonal, environmental, and immunological factors that abnormally modulate the expression of soluble mediators and innate and adaptive immune responses in the disease.
Testbed-based performance evaluation of handshake-free MAC protocols for underwater acoustic sensor networks

This paper concerns the experimental performance evaluation of three protocols for channel access in underwater acoustic sensor networks. In particular, we consider handshake-free protocols, i.e., solutions for accessing the acoustic channel without mechanisms of pre-emptive channel reservation, aiming at obtaining lower packet latencies while maintaining high throughput. Two of the protocols that we consider, namely, the Traffic-Adaptive Receiver-Synchronized (TARS) protocol, and the Lightweight Stochastic Scheduling (LiSS) protocol, are based on a utility-optimization framework for computing the optimal transmission strategy dynamically. We benchmark the performance of TARS and LiSS to that of ALOHA, which is the exemplary handshake-free protocol. Our experimental evaluation is based on a testbed of four Teledyne Benthos acoustic modems deployed in an outdoor pool filled with water from the ocean. Our results show that the optimization framework of protocols such as TARS and LiSS achieves remarkable performance both in terms of packet delivery ratio, because of a noticeable reduction of interference, and of end-to-end latency, because of considerable shortening of the slot duration.
The Heart and Stroke

Globally, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in Western countries after cancer and heart disease. There are several ways in which stroke and heart disease interrelate. Cardiogenic stroke occurs when (1) clots embolize from the heart and reach the brain via the arterial circulation, or (2) as a result of severe heart failure and cerebral hypoperfusion. Medications as well as certain cardiac procedures performed to treat heart disease can lead to adverse neurological complications such as ischemic stroke. Many vascular diseases are also known to affect both the heart and the brain. For example, there is a strong correlation between cardiac disease and cerebral atherosclerosis, which escalates the risk of thrombotic stroke. Lastly, central nervous system diseases can influence the heart and its function.
Hydrological Responses to Channelization and The Formation of Valley Plugs and Shoals

Rehabilitation of floodplain systems focuses on restoring interactions between the fluvial system and floodplain, however, there is a paucity of information on the effects of valley plugs and shoals on floodplain hydrological processes. We investigated hydrologic regimes in floodplains at three valley plug sites, two shoal sites, and three unchannelized sites. Valley plug sites had altered surface and sub-surface hydrology relative to unchannelized sites, while only sub-surface hydrology was affected at shoal sites. Some of the changes were unexpected, such as reduced flood duration and flood depth in floodplains associated with valley plugs. Our results emphasize the variability associated with hydrologic processes around valley plugs and our rudimentary understanding of the effects associated with these geomorphic features. Water table levels were lower at valley plug sites compared to unchannelized sites, however, valley plug sites had a greater proportion of days when water table inundation was above mean root collar depth than both shoal and unchannelized sites as a result of lower root collar depths and higher deposition rates. This study has provided evidence that valley plugs can affect both surface and sub-surface hydrology in different ways than previously thought and illustrates the variability in hydrological responses to valley plug formation.
How Young, Uninsured Americans Respond to News Coverage of Obamacare: An Experimental Test of an Affective Mediation Model

This experiment integrated theory from multiple domains to examine how aspects of news coverage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and differences in participants’ cognitive and emotional contingent conditions interact to shape attitudes and behavioral intentions toward health care legislation. Using a sample of uninsured young adults (N = 1,056), we tested an affective mediation model, which assessed the mechanisms through which media frames, exemplar case studies, and individual predispositions affect this type of news consumer. Results demonstrate the complicated pathways through which emotions mediate the effects of news coverage of ACA based on political predispositions, the need for orientation toward the health care issue, and the influence of equivalency framing in the form of example cases. These findings contribute to a more nuanced explanation of the causal mechanisms underpinning framing effects of public policy news coverage on an understudied population. The need for further examination of emo...
Real-Time Sensing of Single-Ligand Delivery with Nanoaperture-Integrated Microfluidic Devices

The measurement of biological events on the surface of live cells at the single-molecule level is complicated by several factors including high protein densities that are incompatible with single-molecule imaging, cellular autofluorescence, and protein mobility on the cell surface. Here, we fabricated a device composed of an array of nanoscale apertures coupled with a microfluidic delivery system to quantify single-ligand interactions with proteins on the cell surface. We cultured live cells directly on the device and isolated individual epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) in the apertures while delivering fluorescently labeled epidermal growth factor. We observed single ligands binding to EGFRs, allowing us to quantify the ligand turnover in real time. These results demonstrate that this nanoaperture-coupled microfluidic device allows for the spatial isolation of individual membrane proteins while maintaining them in their cellular environment, providing the capability to monitor single-ligand bind...
Phenomenology and New Rhetoric

This monograph has three purposes. It attempts first to describe in general terms methods of investigation proper to strict phenomenology and to new rhetoric. Second, it describes certain recent developments by the author that lead to a de-projective approach to phenomenology and which are of potential significance in a variety of areas of study, including new rhetoric. Finally, suggestions are made with a view to bringing portions of rigorous phenomenology into close connection with certain of the basic concerns of new rhetoric.
Characterizing the relationship between flow-mediated vasodilation and radial artery tonometry in peripheral artery disease.

BACKGROUND Arterial stiffness, measured by the augmentation index (AIX) from radial artery tonometry, and endothelial dysfunction, measured by brachial-artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), have each been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. However, their interrelationship in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients is poorly understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a cross-sectional analysis of 123 vascular surgery outpatients, the association between FMD and AIX was examined in controls with atherosclerotic risk factors (n = 32) and patients with PAD (n = 91). PAD was defined as claudication symptoms with an ankle-brachial index of <0.9 or a history of revascularization for symptomatic PAD. Controls had an ankle-brachial index ≥0.9 and no history of atherosclerotic vascular disease. RESULTS Compared to controls, patients with PAD had lower FMD (6.3 ± 3.8 versus 8.4 ± 3.7, P = 0.008), while central AIX normalized to 75 beats per minute (25.5 ± 9.0 versus 19.3 ± 8.6, P = 0.001) and peripheral AIX (91.3 ± 14.5 versus 81.3 ± 11.4, P = 0.001) were higher. FMD was not significantly correlated with either central or peripheral AIX (central AIX: P = 0.58; peripheral AIX: P = 0.89) across the entire cohort, or in either the patients with PAD (central AIX: P = 0.48; peripheral AIX: P = 0.23) or controls (central AIX: P = 0.43; peripheral AIX: P = 0.92). In a multivariate model including FMD, higher AIX remained independently associated with PAD. CONCLUSIONS In an analysis of vascular surgery outpatients, no correlation between FMD and AIX was detected. Larger prospective studies are needed to determine whether the inclusion of both parameters improves predictive models for the early identification and potential risk stratification of PAD patients.
Self-consistent Fields and Critical Exponents for Polymers

A self-consistent field (SCF) is constructed for a polymer chain with excluded volume modeled as a self-avoiding random walk (SAW) of N steps (N →∞). The SCF requires the introduction of a second exponent \(\bar \theta \) in addition to the usual ν exponent that characterizes the size of a SAW. The SCF equals N times the probability \({\bar P_N}\) of an interaction of the chain end with a distant part of the chain. In d-dimensional space \({\bar P_N}\) scales as \({N^{ - \gamma \left( {d + \bar \theta } \right)}} \left( {d \leqslant 4} \right);\); self-consistency of the field yields the relations θ = (4 - d)/3 and \(\upsilon \left( {d + \bar \theta } \right) = 2.\). It is shown that \({\theta _0} 1 is the exponent associated with the probability of a SAW forming a large loop with a long tail. A SCF ( Φ ) is also determined for a semidilute solution of polymer volume fraction φ. The number of binary interactions scales as Φ φ ∼ φ9/4
Tobacco and Alcohol on Television: A Content Analysis of Male Adolescents' Favorite Shows.

Introduction Media tobacco and alcohol portrayals encourage adolescent substance use. Preventing adolescent initiation with these substances is critical, as they contribute to leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Television tobacco and alcohol portrayals have not been examined for more than 7 years. This study analyzed tobacco and alcohol portrayals on adolescents' favorite television shows and evaluated the rate of portrayals by parental rating. Methods Adolescent males (N = 1,220) from Ohio reported 3 favorite television shows and how frequently they watch them. For each of the 20 most-watched shows in the sample, 9 episodes were randomly selected and coded for visual and verbal tobacco and alcohol incidents. Demographics of characters who used or interacted with the substances were recorded. Negative binomial regression modeled rates of tobacco and alcohol incidents per hour by parental rating. Results There were 49 tobacco and 756 alcohol portrayals across 180 episodes. Characters using the products were mostly white, male, and adult. The rate of tobacco incidents per hour was 1.2 for shows rated TV-14 (95% CI, 0.4-3.6) and 1.1 for shows rated TV-MA (95% CI, 0.3-4.5). The estimated rate of alcohol incidents per hour was 20.9 for shows rated TV-14 (95% CI, 6.3-69.2) and 7.2 for shows rated TV-MA (95% CI, 1.5-34.1). Conclusions Adolescent males' favorite television shows rated TV-14 expose them to approximately 1 tobacco incident and 21 alcohol incidents per hour on average. Limiting tobacco and alcohol incidents on television could reduce adolescents' risk of substance use.
Nutritional status in chronic spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis. The objective was to investigate nutritional status in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), and compare macronutrient and micronutrient intake to the recommended values by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. United States of America. A MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science search was performed, identifying 268 papers. All papers included were English-language papers examining adults with chronic SCI. A meta-analysis was performed to produce weighted averages and 95% confidence intervals (CI) when summary statistics were provided. The systematic review included 15 articles, while the meta-analysis included 12. Resting metabolic rate (1492 kcal/day; CI: 1414–1569) fell below the able-bodied average, and total energy (1876 kcal/day; CI: 1694–2059) and fiber (17 g/day; CI: 14–20) intake were below USDA guidelines. Protein (319 kcal/day; CI: 294–345) and carbohydrate (969 kcal/day; CI: 851–1087) intake were above guidelines. Fat intake (663 kcal/day; CI: 590–736) was within USDA guidelines. Vitamins A, B5, B7, B9, D, E, potassium, and calcium were deficient, while vitamins B1, B2, B3, B12, C, K, sodium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc were in excess according to USDA guidelines. Vitamin B6, iron, and magnesium were within USDA guidelines. Findings indicate greater energy intake relative to energy needs in those with chronic SCI, and an imbalance in fiber intake and micronutrients compared to the USDA guidelines. Future research examining nutritional health status is needed in order to establish evidence-based, SCI-specific dietary guidelines.
Necessity Is the Mother of Invention

What do you do when a podiatric medicine–friendly teaching hospital abruptly terminates a required monthlong inpatient medicine rotation? You can try to negotiate a new rotation at another facility...
Plasmonically Induced Potential in Metal–Semiconductor Composites

Techniques such as conductive atomic force microscopy and electrostatic force microscopy are applied to the study of photoexcited arrays of gold nanoparticles decorating an indium tin oxide coated glass substrate. The nanoparticles are partially covered by a thin semiconducting polymer. The change in the current and potential profiles of the composite metal-semiconductor sample after excitation at the plasmonic resonance frequency of the metallic nanoparticles is analyzed.
Collaborative Inference Of Missing Smart Electric Meter Data For A Building

This paper proposes a novel approach to infer missing electricity meter data of a building using a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model with exogenous variables (SARIMAX). A cross-correlation function is utilized to identify buildings that have electricity usage patterns similar to the building with missing meter data. We train a SARIMAX model using the historic electricity usage of the building with missing data, the weather temperature as an exogenous variable, and electricity usage of buildings identified to be similar to the building of interest, to facilitate collaborative inference of missing meter data. The proposed approach is verified using actual 15-minute interval electricity meter data of four office buildings in Northern California.
A unifying paradigm for transcriptional heterogeneity and squamous features in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer expression profiles largely reflect a classical or basal-like phenotype. The extent to which these profiles vary within a patient is unknown. We integrated evolutionary analysis and expression profiling in multiregion-sampled metastatic pancreatic cancers, finding that squamous features are the histologic correlate of an RNA-seq-defined basal-like subtype. In patients with coexisting basal and squamous and classical and glandular morphology, phylogenetic studies revealed that squamous morphology represented a subclonal population in an otherwise classical and glandular tumor. Cancers with squamous features were significantly more likely to have clonal mutations in chromatin modifiers, intercellular heterogeneity for MYC amplification and entosis. These data provide a unifying paradigm for integrating basal-type expression profiles, squamous histology and somatic mutations in chromatin modifier genes in the context of clonal evolution of pancreatic cancer. Iacobuzio-Donahue and colleagues use integrated transcriptomic, histologic and mutational data to analyze squamous features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), further refining the understanding of heterogeneity and evolution in PDAC.
Use of Plasmonic Metal Core-Dielectric Shell Composite Nanoparticles Embedded within the Absorbing Layer to Enhance the Efficiency of Thin-Film Solar Cells

This study investigates the response of thin-film silicon solar cells to the use of core-shell metal-dielectric nanoparticles embedded inside the Silicon (Si) substrate to enhance their performance. Multiple arrays of these particles were placed inside the silicon substrate at three different depths to observe the changes in the performance of thin-film silicon solar cells. The absorption of the incident sunlight, the short circuit current density, open circuit voltage, fill factor and the output power generated from solar cell structure due to these embedded nanoparticles have been analyzedt It has been observed that the solar cells with the embedded core-shell nanoparticles show larger values than the bare silicon substrate in terms of the short circuit current generated, the fill-factor, open circuit voltage and the output power generatedt Funhermore, the Fab, y-Perot effect has also been observed for core-shell nanopaprticles embedded inside the silicon substrate that can have many useful applications if utilized in appropriate conditions.
O15.3 Development of a scale measuring stigma towards alcohol abstinence among people living with HIV in vietnam

Background Hazardous alcohol use is prevalent among people living with HIV (PLHIV), leading to sub-optimal HIV treatment outcomes. In Vietnam, alcohol use is highly normative making it challenging to reduce or abstain among PLHIV. We developed a quantitative scale to assess alcohol abstinence stigma (AAS) and assessed the association with alcohol use among PLHIV in Vietnam. Methods We conducted qualitative interviews with 30 PLHIV with hazardous alcohol use from an antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic in the Thai Nguyen to inform item development. Alcohol use was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). We tested items in a quantitative survey of 1,559 ART clinic patients in Thai Nguyen to assess internal reliability (Cronbach’s α) and structural validity (exploratory factor analysis, EFA). We used binomial logistic regression to estimate associations between AAS (median score >7) and alcohol use. Results Using the results from the qualitative interview data, we developed the AAS scale with seven final items covering internalized, experience, and anticipated stigma, with scores ranging from 7 to 35. The scale had good internal consistency (α=0.75). EFA suggested the presence of two factors (r=0.42) that explained 64.5% of the total variance. Overall, the median AAS score was 7 (IQR:7–11). Those with alcohol dependence symptoms (AUDIT≥20) reported high levels of AAS (median=9, IQR:7–14) and non-harmful alcohol users (AUDIT Conclusion The AAS scale may be utilized or adopted to measure of alcohol abstinence stigma among PLHIV in settings where alcohol us is culturally encouraged. This new measure will aid future studies assessing the value of developing culturally sensitive strategies to reduce alcohol consumption and ultimately improving HIV treatment outcomes among PLHIV. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Social capital and financial capital acquisition: creating gaming ventures in Shanghai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Entrepreneurs have been a driving force in the rapid development of the Chinese digital game industry. However, in previous studies, little attention has been paid to entrepreneurs’ business develo...
Imaging oxygenation of retinal capillaries with depth resolution

The inner retina has a three-tiered vascular supply, with capillary beds stratifying in the nerve fiber layer/ganglion cell layer, the inner plexiform layer, and the outer plexiform layer (1). While this trilaminar architecture likely functions to serve the metabolic needs of individual retinal layers, we do not know how metabolism and blood flow regulation differ across layers in the healthy retina. In particular, no noninvasive imaging technique with the potential for human translation has yet successfully distinguished the subtle metabolic signals that arise from these thin layers. For the past decade, visible light optical coherence tomography (OCT) (2, 3) has held the promise of imaging retinal oxygenation based on hemoglobin absorption. However, efforts have been largely limited to quantifying oxygenation of large vessels (4), with rare exceptions (5). In their latest work, Pi et al. (6) take a step toward making visible light OCT a tool for studying depth-resolved oxygenation of retinal capillary beds. First, they show that their oximetry method is highly repeatable, a must for any measurement to make it to the clinic. Next, they turn their attention toward accuracy. The closest analog of a retinal capillary saturation measurement is a phosphorescence lifetime-based oxygen tension probe (7) or invasive tissue oxygen electrodes (8). How does one validate a technique for which there is no direct and noninvasive gold standard? The authors propose a creative, albeit indirect, method to gauge accuracy. As noted previously by the authors (9), the superficial vascular plexus supply in Brown Norway rats appears to consist predominantly of arterioles and their higher-order two-dimensional capillary branches that supply the surrounding tissue. In this model vascular bed (Fig. 1 … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: vjsriniv{at}ucdavis.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Displaced and Invisible: Ukrainian Refugee Crisis Coverage in the US, UK, Ukrainian, and Russian Newspapers

The Ukrainian–Russian military conflict that began in 2014 displaced nearly two million people. This study is one of the first to compare the news media coverage of Ukrainian displaced persons in the UK, US, Ukrainian, and Russian elite press as the crisis unfolded. This analysis looks at frames, sources, and demographic characteristics used in the coverage of displaced people. The findings of this study indicate that the coverage of displaced Ukrainians varied from country to country in elite newspapers, and the descriptions did not always point to classic markers of crisis, such as emotional turmoil. English‐language newspapers were more likely to focus on statistics, while Ukrainian and Russian press devoted more attention to various aspects of migrants’ resettlement. The “security threat” and “crime” frames, which are often used in media coverage of refugees, were nearly non‐existent in the articles about displaced Ukrainians.
Dwelling in Noncrisis (Im)possibility: Transmigrant Collective Action in Greece, 2016

In this chapter, Karen Emmerich examines two instances of transmigrant protest staged in northern Greece in 2016, projects that both inhabit and supersede spaces of stasis created by European tactics of bordering, by acting out the very impossibility of certain kinds of action within that context of border securitization. In the temporary, informal settlement that arose in the village of Idomeni, where thousands of refugees camped in defiance of legal restrictions regarding their movement, a small group of residents formed Refugees.TV, a news outlet whose camera was a log, and whose microphone a paper cup. The group initially depended on other media for broader visibility, that is, for the mobility of even a “message”—yet their continual gesture to that dependence was also an insistence on granular self-representation, while the participatory events the group staged became fleeting hubs where people on the move formed practical and affective connections. In another camp in northern Greece, residents built a replica of the clock tower in Homs that was the site of a brutal massacre in 2011, stopping the clock hands at the moment of their initial entrance into the camp, signifying the lack of forward movement in this legal and geographic holding zone. This chapter treats these two performances of stasis and obstruction as instances of the mobile commons at work and play, while also proposing the mobile commons as a site and model for intellectual efforts that straddle the scholarly and non-scholarly worlds.
The Impact of Social Media on Venture Capital Financing: Evidence from Twitter Interactions

We examine how information acquisition through social media affects venture capital (VC) investments into VC-backed startups. We collect a unique data set from Twitter API to measure the impact of portfolio companies owned social media (OSM) and earned social media (ESM) on the structure of VC investments. We find evidence consistent with the hypothesis that startup firms’ social media engagement affects the staging of VC financing, the VC syndicate structure, and the probability of a successful exit. If a portfolio company’s social media accounts are more active and the company has a higher engagement volume with its followers, VC firms reduce the extent of stage financing and are less likely to syndicate with each other in financing such a portfolio company. In particular, our results demonstrate that entrepreneurial firms with higher OSM and ESM engagement volume have fewer VC financing rounds, a smaller number of VCs in their VC syndicates, a lower probability of VC syndication, a higher probability of an IPO exit and a higher amount total funding across all rounds. Our findings are robust to a variety of alternative model specifications, subsamples, controlling for endogeneity in VC staging and syndication, selection biases and machine learning approaches.
Racial-ethnic inequality in cardiovascular health in the United States: Does it mirror socioeconomic inequality?

Abstract Purpose To document gender-specific racial-ethnic disparities in cardiovascular (CV) conditions and risk factors net of socioeconomic status (SES) across the lifespan. Methods Using pooled data from the 1999 to 2016 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we document gender-specific proportions of non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics ages 12–69 years with various socioeconomic characteristics and CV conditions. We then further disaggregate into 10-year age groups and present unadjusted and SES-adjusted prevalence of each CV condition for each gender/racial-ethnic/age group. Results Racial-ethnic differences in the prevalence of CV conditions are large for some conditions, emerge early in adulthood, and remain relatively constant though age 69. Only small proportions of the differences can be attributed to differences in SES across groups; attenuation after adjusting for income, education, and available measures of wealth ranged from 0 to 2.3 percentage points. Black-White differences in prevalence of CV conditions differ substantially and systematically by gender; White females have larger advantages or smaller disadvantages (depending on indicator) relative to Black females than White males do relative to Black males. Conclusions Racial-ethnic disparities in CV conditions are rooted early in the life course, do not mirror socioeconomic disparities, and vary considerably by gender. Explanations likely involve early life experiences such as racial discrimination and entrenched inequality.
Measuring smartphone dependency and exploration of consequences and comorbidities

Abstract “Nomophobia” is the fear of not being able to use your smartphone and has been noted to be associated with excessive levels of smartphone dependency. For many, these devices have become an extension of ourselves, which raises hesitation on whether or not society has become addicted to smartphones. Specific diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction have yet to be settled, and even use of the word “addiction” when describing excessive usage of smartphones is controversial. We therefore utilize current measures to explore the symptoms of smartphone dependency and their hierarchy, as well as comorbidities including social anxiety, self-esteem, and distracted driving. A total of 159 adults from a research-intensive university in the Midwestern United States completed an anonymous online survey. Through factor analytic and Rasch modeling methods, it was found that based on a single measure for one's level of nomophobia, the degree to which smartphone use interferes with daily life can be qualified. The relationship between nomophobia and social anxiety supports the hypothesis that smartphone addiction can be magnified by personality traits and other psychiatric comorbidities. Both multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression analyses found that phone usage while driving and being female were found to be significant positive predictors of smartphone dependency. It is apparent that technology addiction and smartphone addiction need to be studied among a greater population, especially among women and those who use their smartphones while driving.
Clinical and pathological factors affecting the accuracy of estimating myometrial invasion on magnetic resonance imaging in early-stage endometrial cancer

Objectives: To determine the accuracy of MRI at estimating myometrial invasion (MI) and the clinical and pathological factors that may affect this accuracy in patients with early stage endometrial cancer undergoing hysterectomy. Methods: This IRB approved, retrospective study included all patients who had an MRI within 90 days preceding hysterectomy for endometrial cancer from January 2013 through December 2019 across 3 Mount Sinai-affiliated hospitals. Charts were reviewed for clinical characteristics including BMI, menopausal status, abnormal uterine bleeding, and prior pelvic surgery. MRIs were re-reviewed by 3 radiologists blinded to original interpretations. The radiologists recorded degree of myometrial invasion (MI; Results: A total of 53 patients were included; charts and MRIs were reviewed. Median patient age was 61 (range 29-86); median BMI, 29.9 (range 17.6-65.1) kg/m2. On final pathology specimen, 29 patients had FIGO stage 1A (53.7%) and 10 patients with FIGO stage 1B (18.5%). The median depth of MI on pathology was 0.5cm (range 0-10cm). Degree of MI was dichotomized into ≥50% vs Download : Download high-res image (67KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Pelvic MRI is the best radiologic modality available that is currently utilized in assessment of the depth of myometrial invasion in patients with endometrial cancer. Accurate prediction of presence or absence of invasion has significant implication on clinical management particularly in patients with early stage endometrial cancer desiring fertility preservation. In our study, presence of myometrial invasion was underestimated in 30% of patients. Patients have to be appropriately counseled with regards to MRI accuracy in predicting invasion. Neither patients’ clinical characteristics nor presence of other pathological findings on MRI were found to impact the accuracy of MRI estimation of MI.
Comment on dimension dependence of helium

Abstract Some features of the dimension dependence of correlation energy for helium and other two-electron systems are elucidated by incorporating a scaling factor derived from the hydrogen atom and interpolation between the limits D = 1 and D → ∞.