cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Materials Modification by Ion Implantation

The use of ion implantation for the controlled modification of surface sensitive properties has been a rapidly growing research field in the last few years, evidenced by several topical symposia and conference proceedings (see for example Benenson et al., (1981). The two principal thrusts of current research involve the use of implantation as (i) a metallurgical tool for studying basic mechanisms in areas such as aqueous corrosion, high temperature oxidation and impurity trapping as well as (ii) a means of beneficially modifying the mechanical or chemical properties of materials. This chapter includes examples of both usages and will review the present status of some of the most active research fields outside of the semiconductor area with an attempt to indicate the required direction and potential payoff of further work. The application of lasers to improve surface sensitive properties will be referred to in the next chapter. Table I shows a compilation of material properties influenced by ion implantation from Dearnaley (1978).
Development of a Backfill for Containment of High-Level Nuclear Waste *

Sodium and calcium bentonites, pressed to densities between 1.9 and 2.2 g/cm 3 , have hydraulic conductivities in the range of 10 −11 to 10 −13 cm/s. Batch sorption distribution ratios (R d ) indicate that Sr, Cs, and Am are strongly sorbed on bentonites and zeolites, that Np and U are moderately sorbed on bentonites and zeolites, and that Am, Np, U, I, and Tc are strongly sorbed on charcoal. Sorption results with basalt and tuff ground waters are similar; however, iodine in tuff ground water sorbs more strongly on bentonites Thermal diffusivity measurements for dry, compacted (p ∼ 2.1 g/cm 3 ) sodium bentonite indicate that the thermal conductivity of a high density bentonite backfill should be roughly similar to that of silicate host rocks (basalt, granite, tuff). These results indicate that a bentonite backfill can significantly delay the first release of many radionuclides into the host rock and that by forming a diffusion barrier a bentonite backfill can significantly decrease the longterm release rate of radionuclides from the waste package.
Towards a public food infrastructure: Closing the food gap through state-run grocery stores

Abstract There has been a national movement towards closing the grocery gap through public-private partnerships. In this short review, we consider the limits of these interventions in addressing the economic barriers shaping food access and contend that the weaknesses are rooted in the politics of the neoliberal state. We then introduce the concept of the affirmative state and the examples of the military commissary and state-run alcohol stores to legitimate the notion that state-run grocery stores can overcome the limits of conventional grocery gap interventions.
Research and Implementation of Nutch Chinese Word Segmentation in Hadoop Cloud Platform

Nutch is an open source search engine. Hadoop which Apache develops is an open source cloud platform similar to GFS and MapReduce of Google. An efficient,reliable and scalable Chinese search engine can be designed using Nutch and Hadoop. How ever,the w ord segmentation module of Nutch segments Chinese into some single characters and doesn't conform to Chinese language habit of segmenting Chinese into some w ords. To solve this problem,this paper proposes to use IK Analyzer Chinese w ord segmentation toolkit based on dictionary to transform Nutch. First,the paper describes the method that how to implement IK Analyzer Chinese w ord segmentation module on Nutch,then tests the w ord segmentation module in the hadoop cloud platform. Experiments show that the w ord segmentation result of IK Analyzer module more conforms to Chinese language habit and has large significances on the theory and application of Nutch.
Method for quantitative determination of sucralose in food

Objective] To study a method for quantitative determination of sucralose in food. [Methods] High performance liquid chromatography was used for quantitative determination of sucralose in foods. [Results] Sample pro-treatment procedures included sucralose extraction, enrichment and purification . A high performance liquid chromatography gradient method with an evaporative light-scattering detector has been developed for the determination of sucralose. The average recovery rate was 94.3% and the relative standard deviation was 2.40%. [Conclusion] This method can meet the analysis requirement for determination of sucralose in food and it is a simple, reliable method easy for popularizing.
Bilateral orbital myositis and dacryoadenitis after sclerosing mediastinitis

A 49-year-old male with a history of sclerosing mediastinitis presented with complaints of bilateral (left greater than right) eye pain and redness for 3 weeks. Clinically, the patient demonstrated signs of bilateral dacryoadenitis and myositis. CT confirmed enlargement of both lacrimal glands and lateral rectus muscles. Due to the relationship between sclerosing mediastinitis and orbital inflammatory pseudotumor (OIP), the patient was treated with oral prednisone with a brisk response. OIP is common in ophthalmic practice and treating physicians should be aware of the associations with systemic disease processes.
Predicting future monthly residential energy consumption using building characteristics and climate data: A statistical learning approach

Abstract In this paper a large-scale study is presented that applies statistical learning methods to predict future monthly energy consumption for single-family detached homes using building attributes and monthly climate data. Building data is collected from over 426,305 homes in Bexar County, TX with four years of monthly energy consumption (natural gas and electricity). The goal of this study is to establish reliable models for forecasting residential energy consumption, understand the predictive value of building attributes, identify differences in predictability between households, and measure the robustness in model performance given uncertainty in climate forecasts. Assuming accurate climate forecasts, results show future monthly energy consumption can reasonably be predicted for out-of-sample households, with 74% accuracy at the household level and over 90% accuracy for predicting aggregate monthly energy usage. However, model performance is significantly different between households with distinct fuel types. Using historical climate forecast, results also demonstrate that model predictability significantly decays at both the household and aggregate level, but is robust at the household level when measured by the median home. Model selection and variable importance plots illustrate several building characteristics significantly contribute to predicting monthly energy consumption while most provide marginal predictive value.
Assessing and Responding to Threats of Targeted Violence by Adolescents: A Guide for Counselors

Acts of violence by youth in the United States have prompted mental health professionals to become increasingly attuned to the potential for violence among their clients, particularly adolescents at risk of such behavior. The counseling relationship offers adolescents a space in which they can share their thoughts about and intentions for violence, thereby placing counselors in complicated situations in which they must protect public safety while also attending to the therapeutic needs of the client. In this article we: (1) review literature on adolescent threats of violence, (2) examine leakage style threats of targeted violence, (3) synthesize this work within an evidence-based framework of structured professional/clinical judgment, and (4) provide general recommendations for outpatient and school-based mental health counselors. Three clinical vignettes are presented for the purpose of illustration and pedagogical exploration.
Tibio-femoral Replacement Using Four Components with Retention of the Cruciate Ligaments (The Polycentric Prosthesis)

The analysis of normal knee motion and the function of the various ligaments, cartilages, and bony and cartilaginous contours in the control of this motion is a controversial subject. Previous attempts at arthroplasty of the interposition type have had limited success, although the Mc Keever and Mac Intosh metallic tibial plateau replacements achieved fairly widespread use (Potter, 1969). Often, however, the opposing surfaces could not tolerate the stresses placed on them, and pain returned. The goal of pain relief with retention of the ligaments and as much bone as possible, to permit later arthrodesis if necessary, led to attempts to design surface-replacement components as typified by the work of Gunston, Marmor, Buchholz, Savastano, and Charnley.
Institutions of Control, Institutions Beyond Control

While both the cases I have discussed so far involve Chinese religion, the general processes are neither necessarily Chinese nor necessarily religious. Under the right circumstances anywhere, meaning develops a life cycle of its own. Tumultuous times encourage a profusion of new and complex possibilities that elbow their way in among the old taken-for-granted ideas. Both the early God Worshipers and the Taiwanese ghost cult took part in this process, as did the many cases of non-Chinese spirit possession I have already discussed. So did the Virgin of Guadalupe, symbol of Mexican independence, with her Aztec moon and cloak of roses (Wolf, 1958). And so did Yankee Doodle, who changed from the boorish object of British jeering to a revolutionary symbol. The resulting intertwined profusion of meaning has a strong potential to resist — to foster an interpretation that opposes the status quo — but also harbors many other possible developments.
Factors controlling the co-occurrence of microbial sulfate reduction and methanogenesis in coal bed reservoirs

Abstract Sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) and methanogenic archaea have been previously observed in coal bed methane reservoirs, suggesting that the model for separation of these organisms based on sulfate concentration may not apply to such reservoirs. Using a methanogenic consortium enriched from coal, microcosm experiments showed simultaneous activity of methanogens and sulfate reducers at sulfate concentrations ranging from 50 to 1000 μM when coal was the sole substrate. These experiments revealed no apparent correlation between methanogenic potential and sulfate concentration. In other microcosm experiments with varying acetate amendments, concentrations of the phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) 14:0, 16:1ω5, 16:1ω7cis, 16:1ω7trans, and cy17:0 correlated strongly with the initial acetate concentration in microcosms with 500 μM sulfate, while i17:0 correlated strongly in microcosms with 200 μM sulfate. A significant portion of the acetate in these experiments went to microbial metabolisms other than dissimilatory sulfate reduction or methanogenesis, suggesting that some of these PLFAs were likely produced by some other unknown acetate-consuming micro-organisms. Copies of the dsrA gene increased at least 10-fold over initial levels in samples without molybdate (MoO42 −) across all experiments, indicating that SRM were active when not inhibited by MoO42 −. In experiments with
Nerve conduction studies are safe in patients with central venous catheters.

Introduction It is unknown if central venous catheters bypass the skin's electrical resistance and engender a risk of nerve conduction study-induced cardiac arrhythmia. The objective of this study is to determine if nerve conduction studies affect cardiac conduction and rhythm in patients with central venous catheters. Methods Under continuous 12-lead electrocardiogram monitoring, subjects with and without central venous catheters underwent a series of upper extremity nerve conduction studies. A cardiologist reviewed the electrocardiogram tracings for evidence of cardiac conduction abnormality or arrhythmia. Results Ten control subjects and 10 subjects with central venous catheters underwent the nerve conduction study protocol. No malignant arrhythmias or conduction abnormalities were noted in either group. Conclusions Nerve conduction studies of the upper extremities, including both proximal stimulation and repetitive stimulation, do not appear to confer increased risk of cardiac conduction abnormality in those patients with central venous catheters who are not critically ill or have a prior history of arrhythmia. Muscle Nerve 56: 321–323, 2017
491. Enhanced Delivery of Plasmid DNA to the Skin Using Gene Electrotransfer

The easy accessibility of skin makes it an excellent target for gene therapy applications. Gene electrotransfer (GET) of skin is a simple, direct, in vivo method to deliver genes for therapy and can be accomplished in a minimally invasive way. This approach has been tested in several animal models with varying skin thickness and delivery of plasmid DNA with GET resulted in significantly increased expression levels. Previously, we developed electrode arrays specifically for skin-based applications and designed applicators that can be easily applied and expanded. The limitations that we have encountered with our new designs are related to the depth of penetration of expression and occasionally cellular or tissue damage due to the required high applied voltage. GET requires a balance between efficient delivery and the maintenance of cell viability. In this current study, we have evaluated the addition of externally applied thermal energy to GET protocols to enhance delivery without increasing the applied voltage. We have determined both in vitro and in vivo that elevating the tissue temperature to between 42-45 0C was sufficient to enhance delivery when combined with GET. Administering GET to tissue with elevated temperature resulted in 5-8 fold higher expression compared to delivery with GET alone (ambient temperature). In addition, expression was obtained in the deep dermis and muscle utilizing a surface electrode. This deeper penetration was not consistently obtained when GET was used without a thermal component. Current work is evaluating approaches to achieve more uniform heat distribution within the tissue and to potentially elevate temperatures in specific areas of tissue in order to target gene expression. GET is a powerful tool that allows for manipulation of expression levels and kinetics. Adjusting the delivery parameters enables maximum control of the expression profile enhancing the potential for a successful therapeutic outcome. The addition of the thermal component allows further control of delivery and reduces the potential for cellular damage.
PTEN germline mutations in patients first tested for other hereditary cancer syndromes: Would use of risk assessment tools have reduced health care costs?

1516 Background: PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS) includes patients with Cowden (CS) or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome (BRRS) with germline PTEN mutation. Breast, colon, endometrial cancer a...
Distributed data gathering with buffer constraints and intermittent communication

We consider a team of multiple dynamical and heterogeneous robots which are deployed for gathering different types of data within a common workspace. The robots have different roles due to different capabilities: some gather data from the workspace (Type-A robots) and others receive data from Type-A robots and upload them to a data center (Type-B robots). The data-gathering tasks are specified locally to each Type-A robot as high-level Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) formulas. All robots have a limited buffer to store the data. Thus the data gathered by Type-A robots should be transferred to Type-B robots before the buffers overflow, respecting at the same time limited communication range for all robots. The main contribution of this work is a distributed task coordination and intermittent meeting scheme that guarantees the satisfaction of all local tasks while obeying the above constraints. We present numerical simulations to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method over most existing approaches that require all-time network connectivity.
Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Quantification of Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine-Induced DNA Adducts in Mammalian Cells

Quantification of DNA lesions constitutes one of the main tasks in toxicology and in assessing health risks accompanied by exposure to carcinogens. Tobacco-specific nitrosamines 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) can undergo metabolic transformation to give a reactive intermediate that pyridyloxobutylates nucleobases and phosphate backbone of DNA. Here, we reported a highly sensitive method, relying on the use of nanoflow liquid chromatography-nanoelectrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-nESI-MS/MS), for the simultaneous quantifications of O6-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]-2′-deoxyguanosine (O6-POBdG) as well as O2- and O4-[4-(3-pyridyl)-4-oxobut-1-yl]-thymidine (O2-POBdT and O4-POBdT). By using this method, we measured the levels of the three DNA adducts with the use of 10 μg of DNA isolated from cultured mammalian cells exposed to a model pyridyloxobutylating agent, 4-(acetoxymethylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNKOAc). Our results d...
Non-routine discharge disposition is associated with post-discharge complications and 30-day readmissions following craniotomy for brain tumor resection.

Several studies have reported an association between high-volume brain tumor centers and greater rates of routine discharge disposition in the context of better outcomes. However, the relationship between in-hospital complications, discharge destination, and postoperative adverse events (AEs) remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was thus to use a large, prospectively collected database to examine the association between discharge destination, post-discharge complications, readmissions, and reoperations among patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor. The 2011–2014 National Surgical Quality Improvement (NSQIP) database was employed to identify all adult patients who underwent a craniotomy for brain tumor resection. Demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative variables were collected for each patient. Univariate statistics with subsequent binary logistic regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between these perioperative factors and postoperative events, including major post-discharge complications, minor post-discharge AEs, readmissions, and return to the operating room (ROR). Significant variables such as demographics, comorbidities, operative time, body mass index, ASA classification and pre-discharge complications were controlled for in each model. Of the 14,854 patients identified, 11,409 (77.9%) were discharged home. After controlling for comorbidities and in-hospital AEs, discharge to skilled rehabilitation was an independent predictor of major post-discharge complications (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.31–2.30, p < 0.001), minor post-discharge events (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.07–2.41, p = 0.024), and ROR (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.27–2.22, p < 0.001). Discharge to a care facility was predictive of major complications (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04–2.19, p = 0.030) and ROR (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.46–2.80, p < 0.001). These factors may be considered in discharge planning and further outcomes studies for patients undergoing resection.
Flow Regimes in Microchannel Single-Phase Gaseous Fluid Flow

As the market induces electronic chips to undergo a size reduction while increasing functionality, the use of convective heat transfer in microchannels is believed to be one of the most efficient ways to provide the necessary cooling. Many analytical and experimental investigations have been performed to provide a better understanding of liquid and gaseous flow and heat transfer at microscale, which is very important in microdevice development and design. However, these studies have yet to lead to a general conclusion. Controversial results in the literature about the boundary conditions for liquid flows show that further investigations are still needed.
Treatment-as-Usual for Couples: Trajectories Before and After Beginning Couple Therapy.

Couple therapy has been shown to be a meaningful way to improve couples' relationships. However, less information is known about couples' functioning prior to entering treatment in community settings, as well as how their relationship functioning changes from initiating therapy onward. This study examined 87 couples who began community-based couple therapy during a longitudinal study of couples in the military. The couples were assessed six times over the course of 3 years, including time points before and after starting couple therapy. Using an interrupted-time series design, we examined trajectories across the start of couple therapy in relationship satisfaction, divorce proneness, and negative communication. The results demonstrated that couples' relationship satisfaction was declining and both divorce proneness and negative communication were increasing prior to entering couple therapy. After starting couple therapy, couples' functioning on all three variables leveled off but did not show further change, but previous experience in relationship education moderated these effects. Specifically, those who were assigned to the relationship education program (vs. control) demonstrated greater reductions in divorce proneness and greater increases marital satisfaction after starting therapy; however, they also started more distressed.
Influence of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring on the Outcomes of Surgeries for Pediatric Scoliosis in the United States.

Abstract Background Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is used to detect impending neurologic damage during complex spinal surgeries. Although IONM is increasingly used during pediatric scoliosis surgeries in the United States, the effect of IONM on the outcomes of such surgeries at a national level is unclear. Methods Using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2009 to 2012, 32,305 spinal fusions performed in children 18 years old or younger of age with scoliosis were identified using ICD-9 procedure and diagnosis codes. IONM was identified using the ICD-9 procedure code 00.94. The effects of IONM use on length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, hospital charges, and in-hospital complications were assessed using multivariate regression analysis adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics. Results IONM was used in 5,706 (18%) of the surgeries. IONM was associated with increased home discharge (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.25 [95% confidence interval 1.10-1.40], p = .001). There was no difference in LOS (p = .096) and hospital charges (p = .750). Neurologic complications were noted in 52 (0.9%) surgeries using IONM and 368 (1.4%) surgeries without IONM (p = .005). Although IONM use trended toward lower risk of neurologic complications in multivariate analysis, it failed to achieve statistical significance (AOR = 0.77 [0.57-1.04], p = .084). Conclusions Reported use of IONM in this database was significantly less compared with other databases, suggesting that IONM might be underreported in the NIS database. Nevertheless, in this database, IONM was significantly associated with increased home discharge. Hospital charges and LOS were not affected by IONM. There was a trend toward lower risk of neurologic complications with IONM use, though this finding was not statistically significant.
Novel Antioxidant Properties of Doxycycline

Doxycycline (DOX), a derivative of tetracycline, is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that exhibits a number of therapeutic activities in addition to its antibacterial properties. For example, DOX has been used in the management of a number of diseases characterized by chronic inflammation. One potential mechanism by which DOX inhibits the progression of these diseases is by reducing oxidative stress, thereby inhibiting subsequent lipid peroxidation and inflammatory responses. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that DOX directly scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibits the formation of redox-mediated malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (MAA) protein adducts. Using a cell-free system, we demonstrated that DOX scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during the formation of MAA-adducts and inhibits the formation of MAA-protein adducts. To determine whether DOX scavenges specific ROS, we examined the ability of DOX to directly scavenge superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, we found that DOX directly scavenged superoxide, but not hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, we found that DOX inhibits MAA-induced activation of Nrf2, a redox-sensitive transcription factor. Together, these findings demonstrate the under-recognized direct antioxidant property of DOX that may help to explain its therapeutic potential in the treatment of conditions characterized by chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress.
Alternating Graphs

In this paper we generalize the concept of alternating knots to alternating graphs and show that every abstract graph has a spatial embedding that is alternating. We also prove that every spatial graph is a subgraph of an alternating graph. We define n-composition for spatial graphs and generalize the results of Menasco on alternating knots to show that an alternating graph is n-composite for n=0, 1, 2, 3 if and only if it is “obviously n-composite” in any alternating projection. Moreover, no closed incompressible pairwise incompressible surface exists in the complement of an alternating graph. We then generalize results of Kauffman, Murasugi, and Thistlethwaite to prove that the crossing number of an even-valent rigid-vertex alternating spatial graph is realized in every reduced alternating projection with no uncrossed cycles and, if the graph is not 2-composite, the crossing number is not realized in any non-alternating projection. We give examples showing that this result does not hold for graphs with vertices of odd valence or graphs with uncrossed cycles.
Using Touch and Sound to Program Scratch

Computer Science in K-12 is continuing to become more prevalent. Because learning syntax and debugging can be burdensome, many teachers in K-12 use block languages to teach their students. Block languages, such as Scratch, allow students to focus on simple programming concepts and logic, and therefore, make computer programming easier and more approachable to students. However, block languages are not accessible to students with visual impairments because of block-environments' high dependence on visual aspects. CodeBox64 is a possible solution, offering a tactile approach to input. It is a peripheral device containing six buttons. Four of them allow users to control the mouse, and the other two allow users to select different menus and drag and join the blocks in the block editor. As users navigate through the block programming language, CodeBox64 generates auditory cues to indicate the name of the block when the mouse lands on it. In order to test the usability and efficiency of CodeBox64, an experiment was designed and conducted. It required the use of CodeBox64 to access Scratch and complete three small programs ten times without looking at the screen. The purpose of the evaluation was primarily to test that the device was working as intended with three test cases, and the results showed CodeBox64 functioned properly with all cases.
A New Approach to Desketoraloxifene Analogues from Oxygen-Bearing 3-Iodobenzo[b]thiophenes Prepared via Iodocyclization.

In continuation of efforts to develop novel selective estrogen receptor modulators with antagonist properties against breast cancer, the synthesis of desketoraloxifene (VI) and analogues (V) is described.
Congenital Rubella Syndrome: Clinical and Imaging Features

Congenital rubella syndrome is rare in high-income countries. A 19-year-old pregnant female, who recently immigrated to the United States, presented to clinic for prenatal care at 21 weeks of gestational age. Prenatal ultrasound demonstrated twin gestations with a cleft lip present in twin B. Ultrasound at 36 weeks of gestational age demonstrated fetal demise in twin A and growth restriction in twin B. Twin B was delivered via emergency C-section due to fetal distress. The viable neonate demonstrated multiple abnormalities including microcephaly, patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, cardiomegaly, pulmonary edema, congenital polar cataracts, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, thyroiditis, cleft palate/lip, and abnormal hearing.
Functionalized silk dental floss as a vehicle for delivery of bioactive minerals and ions to the tooth surface.

PURPOSE To enable the commercially available silk dental floss to carry a series of desensitizing, alkalizing, and tooth strengthening pharmacons. METHODS The hydroxy-groups of the serine and tyrosine residues of the commercial silk dental floss were exposed by degumming, and employed as the chemical anchors for the introduction of carboxy-groups to the surface. The affinity of the silk dental floss to a set of bioactive species was studied by SEM, EDS, and XFS. The acetylated silk was used as a control sample for the experiments elucidating the effect of the surface carboxy-groups on its affinity to a series of pharmacons. RESULTS While unmodified silk has affinity to microcrystals of sodium carbonate, some affinity to hydroxyapatite particles and Sr2+, its carboxylation drastically increased the affinity to hydroxyapatite, Sr2+, Ca2+ and K+. The unmodified silk had some affinity to existing hydroxyapatite particles, but did not initiate the growth of hydroxyapatite on the surface. Carboxylation of silk enabled the growth of hydroxyapatite on its surface, and significantly increased its affinity to the existing hydroxyapatite particles. The unmodified silk had significant affinity to Zn2+, which exceeded its acylated derivatives. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The ability of the commercial and modified silk floss to carry a series of pharmacons makes them precursors for a series of new versatile materials with a potential for delivering small doses of bioactive agents in a targeted manner.
Constraining the neutron-neutron scattering length using the effective field theory without explicit pions

We compute a model-independent correlation between the difference of neutron-neutron and proton-proton scattering lengths, $|{a}_{nn}\ensuremath{-}{a}_{pp}^{C}|$, and the splitting in binding energies between helium-3 and tritium nuclei. We use the effective field theory without explicit pions to show that this correlation relies only on the existence of large scattering lengths in the NN system. Our leading-order calculation, taken together with experimental values for binding energies and ${a}_{pp}^{C}$, yields ${a}_{nn}=\ensuremath{-}22.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.1$fm.
Automatic Quantification of Pulmonary Fissure Integrity: A Repeatability Analysis

The pulmonary fissures divide the lungs into lobes and can vary widely in shape, appearance, and completeness. Fissure completeness, or integrity, has been studied to assess relationships with airway function measurements, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression, and collateral ventilation between lobes. Fissure integrity measured from computed tomography (CT) images is already used as a non-invasive method to screen emphysema patients for endobronchial valve treatment, as the procedure is not effective when collateral ventilation is present. We describe a method for automatically computing fissure integrity from lung CT images. Our method is tested using 60 subjects from a COPD study. We examine the repeatability of fissure integrity measurements across inspiration and expiration images, assess changes in fissure integrity over time using a longitudinal dataset, and explore fissure integrity's relationship with COPD severity.
Moraines and late-glacial stratigraphy in central Lake Superior

Seismic-reflection surveys of the Isle Royale sub-basin, central Lake Superior, reveal two large end moraines and associated glacial sediments deposited during the last cycle of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in the basin. The Isle Royale moraines directly overlie bedrock and are cored with dense, acoustically massive till intercalated down-ice with acoustically stratified outwash. Till and outwash are overlain by glacial varves, a lower red unit and an upper gray unit. The maximum extent of late Younger Dryas-age readvance into the western Lake Superior basin is uncertain, but it was probably controlled by both ice dynamics and climate. Our data indicate that during retreat from the maximum, the ice paused just long enough to construct the outer of the two moraines, >100 m high, and then retreated to the inner moraine, during which time most of the lower glacial-lacustrine sequence (red varves) was deposited. Retreat from the inner moraine coincided with a marked flux of icebergs at the calving margin and a change to gray varves. Rapid retreat may be related to both an influx of meltwater from Glacial Lake Agassiz about 10,500 cal yr BP and retreat of the calving margin down an adverse slope into the Isle Royale sub-basin.
Influences on Body Size Perceptions Among Black Women in the Mississippi Delta

Purpose:To identify factors that influence Black women’s body size perceptionsDesign:Interviews (cognitive mapping exercise) with 25 women; focus group with 7 additional womenSetting:Mississippi De...
Ex vivo regional gene therapy with human adipose-derived stem cells for bone repair.

Abstract Background The treatment of complex bone loss scenarios remains challenging. This study evaluates the efficacy of ex vivo regional gene therapy using transduced human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) overexpressing bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) to treat critical-sized bone defects. Methods Critical-sized femoral defects created surgically in immunocompromised rats were treated with ASCs transduced with a lentivirus encoding BMP-2 (Group 1, n = 14), or green fluorescent protein (Group 2, n = 5), nontransduced ASCs (Group 3, n = 5), or rhBMP-2 (Group 4, n = 14). At 12 weeks, femurs were evaluated for quantity and quality of bone formation with plain radiographs, micro-computed tomography, histology/histomorphometry, and biomechanical strength testing. Results Thirteen of 14 samples in Group 1 and all 14 samples in Group 4 showed radiographic healing, while no samples in either Groups 2 or 3 healed. Groups 1 and 4 had significantly higher radiographic scores (p Conclusions Human ASCs modified to overexpress BMP-2 resulted in abundant bone formation, with the quality of bone comparable to that of rhBMP-2. This strategy represents a promising approach in the treatment of large bone defects in the clinical setting. Clinical relevance Large bone defects may require sustained protein production to induce an appropriate osteoinductive response. Ex vivo regional gene therapy using a lentiviral vector has the potential to be part of a comprehensive tissue engineering strategy for treating osseous defects.
Does metropolitan form affect transportation sustainability? Evidence from US metropolitan areas:

In this paper, we examine transportation sustainability in American metropolitan areas using transportation-related CO2 emissions, public transit accessibility, and commuting times as indicators. T...
Piercing the Soft Law Veil? The Hard Truth About Directive-Like Recommendations

Der Beitrag untersucht die jungste Rechtsprechung des EuGH zu Richtlinienahnlichen Empfehlungen (C-16/16 P).
Extending A Letter-Writing Intervention Developed for Incarcerated Mothers to Incarcerated Fathers: A Mixed Methods Study

The number of U.S. prisoners with minor children has increased dramatically in recent decades. Although the quality of inmate-child communication is positively associated with individual and famili...
Predators affect a plant virus through direct and trait-mediated indirect effects on vectors

Arthropods that vector plant pathogens often interact with predators within food webs. Predators affect vectors by eating them (consumptive effects) and by inducing antipredator behaviors (non-consumptive effects), and these interactions may affect transmission of vector-borne pathogens. However, it has proven difficult to experimentally tease apart the effects of predators on vector fitness and behavior as they are often correlated. We addressed this problem by assessing how both aphids and an aphid-borne pathogen were affected by variable predation risk. Specifically, we experimentally manipulated ladybeetle predators mouthparts to isolate consumptive, and non-consumptive, effects of predators on aphid fitness, movement, and virus transmission. We show that although lethal predators decreased aphid vector abundance, they increased pathogen transmission by increasing aphid movement among hosts. Moreover, aphids responded to risk of predation by moving to younger plant tissue that was more susceptible to the pathogen. Aphids also responded to predator risk through compensatory reproduction, which offset direct consumptive effects. Our results support predictions of disease models showing alterations of vector movement due to predators can have greater effects on transmission of pathogens than vector consumption. Broadly, our study shows isolating direct and indirect predation effects can reveal novel pathways by which predators affect vector-borne pathogens.
Factors Affecting Purchase and Recommendation Willingness Towards Brand Extension

Brand extension is an effort to extend a successful brand name to implement new or modified products or lines. The study examines the effect of various independent factors on the purchase and recommendation willingness towards brand extension. These independent factors include brand trust, brand loyalty of the parent brand, perceived quality of parent brand, perceived quality of brand extension and brand concept consistency of the extension. The study was carried out in the context of brand extension of a well-established Sri Lankan condiment producer, namely, ‘Wijaya Products’. The study focused on the ‘Wijaya Product flour’ brand extension. Research questions were formulated based on the conceptual model of Brannstrom and Staffansson (2013), which served as a guide throughout this study. The results indicated that all the five independent variables had a high level of impact on purchase and recommendation willingness towards the brand extension. Therefore, brand managers should keep these factors in mind when launching brand extensions in order to enhance the probability of their success.
Superconformal chemical vapor deposition using plasma-generated atomic species as a consumable growth inhibitor

We describe a convenient and broadly applicable method that affords the superconformal growth of films in trenches and other recessed features by chemical vapor deposition, here applied to the growth of the metal diborides CrB2 and HfB2. A flux of atomic hydrogen or nitrogen, generated by a remote plasma source, strongly inhibits growth near the feature opening, possibly by tying up dangling bonds. In a trench, the flux of atomic species declines rapidly with depth due to wall reactions, either by recombination to afford inactive H2 or N2 or incorporation into the film. As a result, the inhibition effect decreases with depth, and the growth is almost uninhibited toward the bottom of the feature. These circumstances produce a superconformal, “V-shaped” growth profile with the vertex toward the bottom. With continued deposition, the vertex moves up and out of the feature without pinch-off, i.e., no void or seam. The use of atomic hydrogen as the inhibitor of the CrB2 growth introduces no significant impurities and does not alter the film stoichiometry, in contrast, atomic nitrogen becomes incorporated into the HfB2 film. A model of the trench filling is developed, which uses lumped kinetic parameters to calculate the film growth rate and the Knudsen diffusion to calculate transport down the axis of the trench. Model calculations agree well with experimental film thickness profiles as a function of growth time, showing that the model can be used to determine the optimal inhibitor flux as a function of the trench aspect ratio. This method should be applicable to the superconformal growth of a wide variety of film compositions as well.
Technology adoption

The S-shaped curve of technology adoption is a welcome recurrence in an otherwise chaotic adoption world.
Aspergillus versicolor Inhalation Triggers Neuroimmune, Glial, and Neuropeptide Transcriptional Changes:

Increasing evidence associates indoor fungal exposure with deleterious central nervous system (CNS) health, such as cognitive and emotional deficits in children and adults, but the specific mechani...
Disease clearance of tuberculosis infection: An in-host continuous-time Markov chain model

Abstract The clearance of tuberculosis infection shows an elimination of infectious Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) pathogens and infected macrophage cells. The evidence shows the existence of individuals, who are still tested negative in tuberculin skin test after living with people with active tuberculosis for up to six months. Since the Mtb pathogen is spread from person to person through airborne particles, we build a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model to describe the initial infection with small amount of inhaled bacteria. The CTMC model successfully simulates sample paths presenting disease clearance. We apply the theory of multitype branching processes to analytically approximate the probability of disease clearance. We also estimate the disease clearance time, which is as less than a month for R 0 ∈ [ 1 , 1.5 ] . Our results demonstrate that the host immune factors affect both the probability and the time of the disease clearance. These relationships are linked by the basic reproduction number R 0 . Our findings provide new mechanisms for disease prevention and therapy developments.
The Menlo Report

On 28 December 2011, the US Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology, Cyber Security Division released "The Menlo Report: Ethical Principles Guiding Information and Communication Technology Research" to the Federal Register to elicit the public's feedback. In this article, the authors briefly describe the road to this milestone, summarize the report and its companion document, and describe the next steps we should take as a community.
“When Surviving Jim Crow Is a Preexisting Condition”: The Impact of COVID‐19 on African Americans in Late Adulthood and Their Perceptions of the Medical Field

This article examines how the trauma of historical and structural racism affects one's health and well‐being across the life span, specifically for African Americans identified as descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States (DAEUS). Counselors are provided with antiracist strategies to support the intersection of multiple social identities for DAEUS citizens in late adulthood disproportionately affected by COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Adultspan Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Isotopic order, biogeochemical processes, and earth history: Goldschmidt Lecture, Davos, Switzerland, August 2002

Abstract The impetus to interpret carbon isotopic signals comes from an understanding of isotopic fractionations imposed by living organisms. That understanding rests in turn on studies of enzymatic isotope effects, on fruitful concepts of isotopic order, and on studies of the distribution of 13 C both between and within biosynthetic products. In sum, these studies have shown that the isotopic compositions of biological products are governed by reaction kinetics and by pathways of carbon flow. Isotopic compositions of individual compounds can indicate specific processes or environments. Examples include biomarkers which record the isotopic compositions of primary products in aquatic communities, which indicate that certain bacteria have used methane as a carbon source, and which show that some portions of marine photic zones have been anaerobic. In such studies, the combination of structural and isotopic lines of evidence reveals relationships between compounds and leads to process-related thinking. These are large steps. Reconstruction of the sources and histories of molecular fossils redeems much of the early promise of organic geochemistry by resolving and clarifying paleoenviron-mental signals. In turn, contemplation of this new information is driving geochemists to study microbial ecology and evolution, oceanography, and sedimentology.
Chemotaxonomy of the genus Abies—I.

Abstract Terpenes of the balsams of seventeen Abies and three Pseudotsuga species and varieties were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The differences in composition found indicate that this method can be used for distinguishing between some closely related species, although substantiation will have to be made through further population studies.
Isolated intestinal transplants vs. liver‐intestinal transplants in adult patients in the United States: 22 yr of OPTN data

We examined the outcomes of adult intestinal transplants (ITx); isolated ITx vs. liver-intestinal transplants (L-ITx) were compared using the UNOS database (1987-2009). Of 759 ITx transplants in 687 patients, 463 (61%) were isolated and 296 (39%) were L-ITx. Patient survival for primary isolated ITx at one, three, and five yr was 84%, 66.7%, and 54.2%; and primary L-ITx was, 67%, 53.3%, and 46% (p = 0.0005). Primary isolated ITx graft survival at one, three, and five yr was 80.7%, 57.6%, 42.8%; primary L-ITx was 64.1%, 51%, 44.1% (p = 0.0003 at one, three yr, Wilcoxon test). For retransplants (n = 72), patient and graft survival for isolated ITx (n = 41) at five yr was 40% in era 1 (1987-2000) and 16% in era 2 (p = 0.47); for retransplanted L-ITx (n = 31), it improved from 14% to 64% in era 2 (p = 0.01). Cox regression: creatinine >1.3 mg/dL and pre-transplant hospitalization were negative predictors for outcome of both; bilirubin >1.3 mg/dL was a negative predictor for isolated ITx and donor age >40 yr for L-ITx. Isolated ITx should be considered prior to liver disease for adults with intestinal failure; L-ITx is preferable for retransplantation.
Abstract W P100: Alterations of γδT Cell Subsets in Stroke Patients with White Matter Disease

Background: γδT cells have been shown in experimental models to play a role in the evolution of ischemic brain injury by increasing cerebral infarct volumes and neurological deficits. We have previously reported decreased levels of γδT cells in the subacute phase of human stroke. In this study we aimed to determine the functional significance of alterations in levels of γδT cells and other T cell subsets on the extent of ischemic brain injury. Methods: Blood was drawn from ischemic stroke patients within 24 hours of recruitment and stained with CD3 (PE-TR), γδTCR (PE), CD4 (FITC) and CD8 (PE-Cy5) monoclonal antibodies. γδT cells were also divided into functional subsets - CD4+ γδT, CD8+ γδT and null γδT cells. Percentages of circulating lymphocytes were measured by a fluorescent activated cell counter. The extent of acute ischemic injury was measured using lesion volume on diffusion weighted images by Image Processing Analysis and Visualization (MIPAV), while the extent of chronic ischemic injury which is...