cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Data Assimilation via Error Subspace Statistical Estimation.Part I: Theory and Schemes

A rational approach is used to identify efficient schemes for data assimilation in nonlinear ocean‐atmosphere models. The conditional mean, a minimum of several cost functionals, is chosen for an optimal estimate. After stating the present goals and describing some of the existing schemes, the constraints and issues particular to ocean‐atmosphere data assimilation are emphasized. An approximation to the optimal criterion satisfying the goals and addressing the issues is obtained using heuristic characteristics of geophysical measurements and models. This leads to the notion of an evolving error subspace, of variable size, that spans and tracks the scales and processes where the dominant errors occur. The concept of error subspace statistical estimation (ESSE) is defined. In the present minimum error variance approach, the suboptimal criterion is based on a continued and energetically optimal reduction of the dimension of error covariance matrices. The evolving error subspace is characterized by error singular vectors and values, or in other words, the error principal components and coefficients. Schemes for filtering and smoothing via ESSE are derived. The data‐forecast melding minimizes variance in the error subspace. Nonlinear Monte Carlo forecasts integrate the error subspace in time. The smoothing is based on a statistical approximation approach. Comparisons with existing filtering and smoothing procedures are made. The theoretical and practical advantages of ESSE are discussed. The concepts introduced by the subspace approach are as useful as the practical benefits. The formalism forms a theoretical basis for the intercomparison of reduced dimension assimilation methods and for the validation of specific assumptions for tailored applications. The subspace approach is useful for a wide range of purposes, including nonlinear field and error forecasting, predictability and stability studies, objective analyses, data-driven simulations, model improvements, adaptive sampling, and parameter estimation.
Molecular remodeling in human heart failure.

The past decade has seen an explosion of research into the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling ([1][1]). At the cellular level, remodeling can be regarded, in large part, as the response of cardiac myocytes to biomechanical stress. Stressors such as pressure or volume load, reactive
Predators and predation

The first task faced by the writer of any book is the setting of limits around the material to be covered. This is primarily an exercise in definition and, as with any such exercise, is an invitation to dispute. Nearly every textbook dealing with ecology offers a unique definition of predation. The lack of consensus stems, I suggest, from variation in the extent to which we recognize that, whatever it may be ecologically, predation is a clear, unambiguous behavioral act. Other interactions of species, competition or mutualism for example, imply no particular behaviors, and their definitions emerge solely from their ecological consequences. By comparison, predation may be defined as a behavioral act, an ecological process, or more commonly as some combination of both.
Covalent Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Water-Permeable and Water-Impermeable Polymer Multilayers on Highly Water-Soluble and Water-Sensitive Substrates

Aqueous methods for the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) are not, by their nature, well suited for the fabrication of thin films on substrates that are highly water-soluble or composed of water-sensitive materials. Here, we demonstrate that organic solvent-based processes for covalent (or “reactive”) LbL assembly can be used to fabricate multilayers directly on the surfaces of model water-soluble, water-reactive, and water-sensitive substrates that are either difficult or impossible to coat effectively using aqueous-based LbL methods. Our approach is based on methods for the reactive assembly of multilayers using poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and an amine-reactive polymer containing azlactone functionality (PVMDA) in polar-aprotic solvents. The amine-reactive nature of the resulting PEI/PVDMA films facilitated subsequent modification of film-coated surfaces by reaction with primary amine-based nucleophiles. Functionalization of films with the hydrophobic small-molecule amine...
An overview of tumor necrosis factor α and the failing human heart

Recent studies have identified the importance of biologically active molecules (e.g., neurohormones) in disease progression in heart failure. In addition to neurohormones, another portfolio of biologically active molecules, termed cytokines, are also expressed in the setting of heart failure. This article reviews recent clinical and experimental material that suggest that the cytokines (e.g., tumor necrosis factor alpha), much like the neurohormones, may represent another class of biologically active molecules that are responsible for the development and progression of heart failure.
Effect of Seed Moisturization and Fungicide Treatment on Final Stand of Low Vigor Shrunken‐2 Sweet Corn Inbreds

Seed moisturization and fungicide treatments were evaluated as methods to improve sweet corn (Zea mays L.) stand establishment. Seed of three shrunken-2 (sh-2,Su), three double mutant (sh-2,su), one sugary (Sh-2,su), and one dent (Sh-2,Su) inbreds were treated with captan (cis-N-Trichloromethylthio-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide), captan/imazalil (1-[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(2-propenyloxy)ethyl]-1H-imidazole) a blank (no fungicide) formulation, or left untreated. Samples of each fungicide treatment were adjusted to 6 to 7% and 14 to 15% H 2 O prior to planting once in 1987 and twice in 1988 (...)
Optimization design on parameters of new typed energy-saving sealing structure

Much equipment of industrial production and experimental study need to setting up sealing devices,yet at present most of the sealing adopt the traditional contact typed sealing up.Aimed at the existed shortcomings of contact typed sealing up,this paper put forward a point of view of adopting the spiral sealing instead of the traditional contact typed sealing up.And a rather deep discussion was made on the optimal spiral parameters;a set of optimal geometric shapes and dimensions of spiral sealing was derived by the optimization method,which bears certain guiding significance on realizing the application of spiral sealing in practical production.
Aspheric Solute Ions Modulate Gold Nanoparticle Interactions in an Aqueous Solution: An Optimal Way To Reversibly Concentrate Functionalized Nanoparticles

Nanometer-sized gold particles (AuNPs) are of peculiar interest because their behaviors in an aqueous solution are sensitive to changes in environmental factors including the size and shape of the solute ions. In order to determine these important characteristics, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on the icosahedral Au144 nanoparticles each coated with a homogeneous set of 60 thiolates (4-mercaptobenzoate, pMBA) in eight aqueous solutions having ions of varying sizes and shapes (Na+, K+, tetramethylamonium cation TMA+, tris-ammonium cation TRS+, Cl–, and OH–). For each solution, we computed the reversible work (potential of mean of force) to bring two nanoparticles together as a function of their separation distance. We found that the behavior of pMBA protected Au144 nanoparticles can be readily modulated by tuning their aqueous environmental factors (pH and solute ion combinations). We examined the atomistic details on how the sizes and shapes of solute ions quantitatively factor in th...
Politics of Sculpting the ‘New’ Indian Woman in Premchand’s Stories: Everthing the Mem is Not

This article focuses on two short stories by Munshi Premchand (1880–1936), a stalwart in modern Hindi literature. The aim is to counter the growing amnesia among the general readership about Premch...
Food Talk in Families

Family mealtimes have been studied as contexts for socialization and are proposed as important for childhood obesity prevention. Parent and child interactions around food outside of mealtime (eg, requests for afternoon snacks) may also shape obesity risk. Using enhanced audio recording methodology we recorded family conversations and developed a system to code naturally occurring food-related discussions in the home context. Aspects of family food talk assessed included how parents and children expressed food likes, dislikes, hunger, and satiety; parent feeding practices (eg, restricting intake) and child behaviors (eg, food requests); meal preparation and mealtime expectations; and explanations about the nutritional or other qualities of food. Descriptive results are presented and implications of using enhanced audio recording as a method to study processes relevant for childhood obesity prevention are discussed.
Passion and Compassion in Early Christianity

This book examines how the early Christian elite articulated and cultivated the affective dimensions of compassion in a Roman world that promoted emotional tranquillity as the path to human flourishing. Drawing upon a wide range of early Christians from both east and west, Wessel situates each author in the broader cultural and intellectual context. The reader is introduced to the diverse conditions in which Christians felt and were urged to feel compassion in exemplary ways, and in which warnings were sounded against the possibilities for distortion and exploitation. Wessel argues that the early Christians developed literary methods and rhetorical techniques to bring about appropriate emotional responses to human suffering. Their success in this regard marks the beginning of affective compassion as a Christian virtue. Comparison with early modern and contemporary philosophers and ethicists further demonstrates the intrinsic worth of the early Christian understanding of compassion.
Avoiding Regions Symptomatic of Conformational and Functional Flexibility to Identify Antiviral Targets in Current and Future Coronaviruses

Within the last 15 years, two related coronaviruses (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS]-CoV and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [MERS]-CoV) expanded their host range to include humans, with increased virulence in their new host. Coronaviruses were recently found to have little intrinsic disorder compared with many other virus families. Because intrinsically disordered regions have been proposed to be important for rewiring interactions between virus and host, we investigated the conservation of intrinsic disorder and secondary structure in coronaviruses in an evolutionary context. We found that regions of intrinsic disorder are rarely conserved among different coronavirus protein families, with the primary exception of the nucleocapsid. Also, secondary structure predictions are only conserved across 50-80% of sites for most protein families, with the implication that 20-50% of sites do not have conserved secondary structure prediction. Furthermore, nonconserved structure sites are significantly less constrained in sequence divergence than either sites conserved in the secondary structure or sites conserved in loop. Avoiding regions symptomatic of conformational flexibility such as disordered sites and sites with nonconserved secondary structure to identify potential broad-specificity antiviral targets, only one sequence motif (five residues or longer) remains from the >10,000 starting sites across all coronaviruses in this study. The identified sequence motif is found within the nonstructural protein (NSP) 12 and constitutes an antiviral target potentially effective against the present day and future coronaviruses. On shorter evolutionary timescales, the SARS and MERS clades have more sequence motifs fulfilling the criteria applied. Interestingly, many motifs map to NSP12 making this a prime target for coronavirus antivirals.
A Public Health of Consequence: Review of the December 2016 Issue of AJPH.

The article reviews the December 2016 issue of the periodical "American Journal of Public Health."
Bioremediation of Hexanoic Acid and Phenanthrene in Oil Sands Tailings by the Microbial Consortium BioTiger

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and naphthenic acids (NAs) are toxic contaminants of environmental concern found in process water and mature fine tailings, or tailings, from the oil sands industry. BioTiger™, a patented microbial consortium of twelve natural environmental isolates, was found to cometabolically biodegrade the NA hexanoic acid and the PAH phenanthrene in the presence of tailings. Hexanoamide was found to be produced and consumed during cometabolism of hexanoic acid. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated three of the BioTiger™ strains generated biosurfactants with the bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons assay, seven with the methylene blue active substances assay, and nine with a hemolysis assay. Serial transfers of the BioTiger™ consortium demonstrated the stability of hexanoic acid degradation over several generations. The results demonstrate that BioTiger™ cometabolically biodegrades combinations of phenanthrene and hexanoic acid in tailings. This work reveals the potential for in situ bioremediation of tailings with this natural microbial consortium.
Multi-scale genome modeling for predicting fracture strength of silicon carbide ceramics

Abstract The variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization (VAMUCH) has emerged as a general purpose micromechanics approach capable of predicting the effective properties of heterogeneous materials and recovering the local fields. In this study, a novel micromechanics approach has been developed enabling VAMUCH to homogenize heterogeneous microstructure and predict its crack formation through a multi-scale materials genome model. A variational form for homogenization is formulated in combination with a cohesive zone model. The weak form of the problem is derived using an asymptotic method, discretized using finite element formulations, and implemented into VAMUCH. The advantages of the present approach are demonstrated through homogenizing silicon carbide ceramics and predicting its fracture strength. Both the elastic properties and fracture strength can be predicted in a computationally efficient manner using this approach compared with the multi-scale finite element model.
Modulating the conformational stability of triple-helical collagen by chemical modification

The conformational stability of triple helical (ProHypGly)10 can be altered by chemical modification of the Hyp hydroxyl group.
Post-genomic behavioral genetics: From revolution to routine

What was once expensive and revolutionary—full genome sequence—is now affordable and routine. Costs will continue to drop, opening up new frontiers in behavioral genetics. This shift in costs from the genome to the phenome is most notable in large clinical studies of behavior and associated diseases in cohorts that exceed hundreds of thousands of subjects. Examples include the Women’s Health Initiative (www.whi.org), the Million Veterans Program (www.research.va.gov/MVP), the 100,000 Genomes Project (genomicsengland.co.uk), and commercial efforts such as those by deCode (www.decode.com) and 23andme (www.23andme.com). The same transition is happening in experimental neuro- and behavioral genetics, and samples sizes of many hundreds of cases are becoming routine (www.genenetwork.org, www.mousephenotyping.org). There are two major consequence of this new affordability of massive omics data sets: (1) It is now far more practical to explore genetic modulation of behavioral differences and the key role of gene-by-environment interactions. Researchers are already doing the hard part—the quantitative analysis of behavior. Adding the omics component can provide powerful links to molecules, cells, circuits, and even better treatment. (2) There is an acute need to highlight and train behavioral scientists in how best to exploit new omics approaches. This review addresses this second issue and highlights several new trends and opportunities that will be of interest to experts in animal and human behaviors.
Effects of Irrigation Frequency and A Water-Absorbing Polymer Amendment on Ligustrum Growth and Moisture Retention by a Container Medium

Amending a 2 pine bark: 1 Canadian peat: 1 sand (by vol) container medium with 0, 1.2, 2.4, 3.6 or 6 kg/m3 (0, 2, 4, 6 and 10 lbs/yd3) of a water-absorbing polymer, Moisturite3, did not influence the volume of water held at tensions less than 100 cm (39 in). Greenhouse-grown Ligustrum japonicum wilted when irrigated (920 ml/application; 31 oz) every 12 days; however, more frequent irrigation treatments (every 6 and 3 days) reduced shoot and root dry weights. Dry weights were not affected by polymer amendment rates nor were container medium temperatures different 1, 2 or 3 days after irrigation.
Sparse Inductive Embedding: An Explorative Data Visualization Technique

Metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling is one of the most popular visualization techniques aiming to determine a point configuration of the data in a low-dimensional space, while preserving the original pairwise dissimilarities amongst the data points. In this paper we propose Sparse Inductive Multi- Dimensional Scaling approach, an exploratory data analysis and visualization tool. Its kernel-based nature provides an inductive method, and hence allows for embedding of previously unseen data even with non-numerical features. Furthermore, via the use of a sparsity-promoting regularizer, the technique is capable of identifying key training samples, whose contribution in defining the embedded manifold’s specific structure is most influential. As we will show, the influence of these samples leads us to interesting interpretations in the context of the data at hand. We adequately train the consequent non-convex framework via an Iterative Majorization approach, for which a stable closed-form solution is obtained. Experimental results showcase the potential benefits of the proposed embedding method on both artificial and real-world data.
Mindfulness Research Foundations

In this chapter, the research related to mindfulness and following areas is reviewed: physical health, adult mental health, couples, families, and neurological functioning. Implications for working with couples and families are highlighted throughout.
Emotional Problems I Anxiety Disorders and Depression

Anxiety disorders and depression in mentally retarded persons have received less attention than other behavior disorders. The inattention is not because anxiety and depression are rare among mentally retarded individuals; survey data indicate that these problems are relatively common. Rather, anxiety disorders and depression may be overlooked because individuals experiencing these problems are less difficult for caretakers to deal with than individuals who are aggressive or noncompliant. Thus, mentally retarded persons with anxiety disorders or depression may be less readily identified and referred for treatment.
Exact Evaluation of K. Jensen’s General Thermal-Field-Photoemission Integral

Jensen has developed a general expression for the current density JGTF emitted from a surface by thermal or field emission, or by a combination of these processes; he has also shown how the same expression may be analytically extended to compute the current density due to photoemission. JGTF is expressed as a single integral, which Jensen evaluates analytically in certain limits and numerically outside those limits. In this paper, we show how the integral may be expressed generally as convergent series that are easily evaluated numerically for all values of the physical parameters. No real or apparent singularities, like those that appear in the function Z defined by Jensen occur in the series obtained here.
Mapping and predicting forest loss in a Sumatran tiger landscape from 2002 to 2050

Riau Province in central Sumatra, with its peatland, lowland, and montane forest habitats, was once a stronghold for Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) populations. Today, Riau may have one of the highest deforestation rates in the world and wildlife populations are dwindling, with natural forest now comprising approximately only 18% of the province, mostly contained within protected areas. Agriculture (acacia, rubber, and oil palm) makes up the majority of Riau's land cover and deforestation for the creation of new plantations is rampant. Natural forest and tigers still remain in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve, which remain connected to tiger populations in montane forest on the western edge of Sumatra. In this study, using freely available Landsat imagery and a maximum likelihood classification algorithm, we create land cover maps for central Sumatra from 2002 to 2016. We then use current land cover, elevation, and slope variables to predict changes from forest to plantation from 2016 to 2050 at five year intervals using a multilayer perceptron neural network. Finally, we compare connectivity based on a 100 km distance threshold (based on potential tiger dispersal) across the landscape and across years. Land cover maps had 80-90% accuracy, and we predict forest in Tesso Nilo and the western edge of the study area to be lost by 2050 given current rates of deforestation. Our connectivity analysis shows that Tesso Nilo and the area between Rimbang Baling and Bukit Tigapuluh are important components for maintaining connectivity throughout the study area. Focusing conservation and rehabilitation efforts on forests close to plantations in flat areas, including Tesso Nilo, is necessary to maintain forests and increase connectivity in Riau to ensure future habitat connectivity for survival of tigers and Sumatra's other diverse endemic species.
3D piezoelectric microsystems pop up

The compressive buckling of lithographically defined, two-dimensional patterns can create three-dimensional piezoelectric microsystems with a range of potential applications.
MR-based treatment planning in radiation therapy using a deep learning approach.

PURPOSE To develop and evaluate the feasibility of deep learning approaches for MR-based treatment planning (deepMTP) in brain tumor radiation therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS A treatment planning pipeline was constructed using a deep learning approach to generate continuously valued pseudo CT images from MR images. A deep convolutional neural network was designed to identify tissue features in volumetric head MR images training with co-registered kVCT images. A set of 40 retrospective 3D T1-weighted head images was utilized to train the model, and evaluated in 10 clinical cases with brain metastases by comparing treatment plans using deep learning generated pseudo CT and using an acquired planning kVCT. Paired-sample Wilcoxon signed rank sum tests were used for statistical analysis to compare dosimetric parameters of plans made with pseudo CT images generated from deepMTP to those made with kVCT-based clinical treatment plan (CTTP). RESULTS deepMTP provides an accurate pseudo CT with Dice coefficients for air: 0.95 ± 0.01, soft tissue: 0.94 ± 0.02, and bone: 0.85 ± 0.02 and a mean absolute error of 75 ± 23 HU compared with acquired kVCTs. The absolute percentage differences of dosimetric parameters between deepMTP and CTTP was 0.24% ± 0.46% for planning target volume (PTV) volume, 1.39% ± 1.31% for maximum dose and 0.27% ± 0.79% for the PTV receiving 95% of the prescribed dose (V95). Furthermore, no significant difference was found for PTV volume (P = 0.50), the maximum dose (P = 0.83) and V95 (P = 0.19) between deepMTP and CTTP. CONCLUSIONS We have developed an automated approach (deepMTP) that allows generation of a continuously valued pseudo CT from a single high-resolution 3D MR image and evaluated it in partial brain tumor treatment planning. The deepMTP provided dose distribution with no significant difference relative to a kVCT-based standard volumetric modulated arc therapy plans.
Nuclear pores in genome architecture and enhancer function

Nuclear genome architecture relies on interactions between the genome and various nuclear scaffolds. One such a nuclear scaffold is the nuclear pore complex (NPC), which in addition to its nuclear transport function, can interact with underlying chromatin. In particular, NPCs have been recently reported to associate with a number of enhancers and superenhancers in metazoan genomes, and select NPC components have been shown to promote the formation of specific genomic loops. Here, we provide a brief overview of current models of enhancer function, and discuss recent evidence that NPCs bind enhancers and contribute to topological genome organization. We also examine possible models of how gene and enhancer targeting to NPCs may contribute to tissue-specific genome architecture and expression programs, including the possibility that NPCs may promote phase separation of transcriptional compartments.
Abstract 1188: Reversing epigenetic gene silencing to overcome immune evasion in CNS malignancies

Glioblastoma remains a lethal brain cancer, and current treatment provides only modest survival benefit. Immunotherapy is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for this disease, but immune cell trafficking to tumor is hampered. Glioblastoma are immunologically “cold”, lacking infiltrating lymphocytes. Tumors epigenetically silence the expression of chemokines that attract lymphocytes to evade immune attack. Previous studies in ovarian cancer demonstrated that the histone methyltransferase inhibitor, GSK126, increased T cell infiltration into the tumor, promoting immune-mediated tumor suppression. Lymphocyte infiltration was driven by elevated expression of interferon gamma (IFNγ)-induced chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10. In the current study, we evaluate the ability of GSK126 to similarly reverse the silencing of CXCL9 and CXCL10 and thereby improve immunotherapy outcome for glioblastoma. We first determined that treatment of murine and human glioblastoma cell lines with GSK126 increased IFNγ-mediated gene expression of CXCL9 and CXCL10 by qPCR and protein by ELISA. Subsequently, transwell migration assays performed using human and murine T cells demonstrated increased T cell migration when exposed to conditioned medium from tumor cells treated with GSK126 and IFNγ. In addition, T cells exposed to GSK126 and IFNγ up regulated CXCR3, the receptor for CXCL9 and CXCL10 and further increased their expression of IFNγ. The in vivo efficacy of GSK126 was tested in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody in C57Bl/6 mice subcutaneously implanted with the syngeneic glioma cell line CT2A. Mice treated with a combination of GSK126 and anti-PD-1 antibody showed a significant decrease in tumor volume with treatment, providing an overall survival benefit compared the anti-PD-1 or GSK126 alone. Taken together, our data suggests a therapeutic role for GSK126 in glioblastoma that could enhance current immunotherapy regimens by reversing the epigenetic changes that enable immune cell evasion and encourage immune cell trafficking to the tumor. Citation Format: Nivedita M. Ratnam, Heather M. Sonnemann, Mark R. Gilbert, Amber J. Giles. Reversing epigenetic gene silencing to overcome immune evasion in CNS malignancies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1188.
Independent Control of Antiparallel- and Parallel-State Thermal Stability Factors in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions for Telegraphic Signals With Two Degrees of Tunability

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with low thermal stability at room temperature have been proposed as read units in beyond CMOS computing architectures including stochastic computing unit and probabilistic-bit (p-bit). Networks of multiple interconnected MTJs may face challenges due to potential device-to-device variations in thermal stability from design targets. Recently, we generated tunable telegraphic signals using a thermally stable MTJ through proper control over an external bias field and a dc voltage bias, where we showed that the average dwell times in the antiparallel (AP) and parallel states could be tuned separately. The implication for this method for p-bit designs is that it allows for p-bits to be compatible with the state-of-the-art magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) technology and introduces a second degree of tunability to the input–output characteristics of the device. In this article, we expand on this method in two important ways. First, we demonstrate the applicability of our method to p-bit designs by modeling the transfer function using the existing p-bit models. Our results indicate that the transfer function can be adjusted with slight modifications to the bias field, which allows for the possibility of p-bit circuits capable of on-chip corrections against device-to-device variations in their thermal stabilities. Second, we identify the physical mechanisms that allow for two degrees of tunability in the output signal, which is explained through the Neel–Brown model. This article provides both applicability and predictability to the dual-biasing method.
Clinical interventions with sexual minority clients: Review, critique, and future directions

Sexual minority populations experience disproportionately high rates of depression and anxiety relative to their heterosexual counterparts. Unfortunately, both sexual minority clients and their the...
Peyronie's Disease: What About the Female Sexual Partner?

Abstract Introduction Peyronie’s disease (PD) is an acquired wound-healing disorder of the penis involving fibrosis and scar formation within the tunica albuginea that can lead to various penile deformities resulting in penile pain, sexual dysfunction, low self-esteem, and emotional distress. While many studies highlight the psychosocial impact of PD on the patient, little is known about the female partner’s experience regarding PD and its management. Objectives To evaluate and summarize the available clinical data on the effects of the disease and its management on female sexual partners of patients with PD. Methods A search of the available medical literature using the MEDLINE and PubMed databases was performed. The queried terms included the following: Peyronie’s disease, partner, female, dyspareunia, relationship, satisfaction, survey, and outcome. Studies were included only if the female sexual partners were directly evaluated or interviewed. Results PD can have a significant impact on the sexual function and satisfaction of female sexual partners. Most female sexual partners reported an improvement in their relationship, a decrease in sexual dysfunction, and improved overall satisfaction after both surgical and nonsurgical treatment. Conclusion PD can be emotionally debilitating for patients and their partners. It has been associated with depression, social stigmatization, isolation, diminished self-worth, and avoidance of intimacy. A partner’s experience with PD, as well as its management and outcomes, is an understudied entity that warrants further investigation and may be useful in guiding future treatment approaches. Kern T, Ye N, Abdelsayed GA. Peyronie's Disease: What About the Female Sexual Partner?. Sex Med Rev 2021;9:230–235.
Entropy and Reversibility

The material presented in this lecture is adapted from Chapter 4 of T&M, as well as from Chapter 1 of Denbigh. First, we will introduce a new thermodynamic function, the entropy S, which strictly is only defined for a reversible process. Second, we will show that the entropy S is a function of state, first for a reversible Carnot cycle and then for a reversible arbitrary cycle. Fourth, after showing that the entropy is a function of state, we will show that if two states can be bridged both along reversible and irreversible paths, then, the entropy change along the irreversible path, although not defined, can nevertheless be equated to that along the reversible path. This will allow us to calculate entropy changes for irreversible processes. Interestingly, we will show that some states cannot be bridged both along reversible and irreversible paths. Finally, we will show that the entropy change for a closed and adiabatic system is always positive for an irreversible (natural) process and is zero for a reversible one. This statement is often referred to as the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Gastric schwannoma treated by endoscopic full-thickness resection and endoscopic purse-string suture: A case report.

Gastric schwannoma treated by endoscopic full-thickness resection and endoscopic purse-string suture: A case report
Costs implications of pneumococcal vaccination of adults aged 30–60 with a recent diagnosis of diabetes

Abstract Objective The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is routinely recommended for adults with diabetes, but little is known about adherence to this recommendation and how vaccination of these adults affects costs related to pneumococcal disease. Research design and methods We used data from a commercial insurance claims dataset to examine a cohort of non-elderly adults with a new diagnosis of diabetes and adults with no diagnosis of diabetes from 2005 to 2014. We examined rates of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination and the relationship between vaccination and pneumococcal disease costs, comparing results for persons with a diagnosis of diabetes and those with no diagnosis of diabetes. Results Overall rates of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination among adults 30–60 years old were Conclusions Non-elderly adults with diabetes have low but rising rates of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination. Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination has a modest impact reducing overall costs of pneumococcal disease in this population.
Gender and the Impact of COVID-19 on Demand for and Access to Healthcare: Intersectional Analysis of Before-and-After Data from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa

Background: Global health emergencies can impact men and women differently due to gender norms related to healthcare, social, and economic disruptions. We investigated the intersectionality of gender with educational and socioeconomic factors in the impact of COVID-19 in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Methods: Data were collected by Opinion Research Business International using census data as the sampling frame. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the change in access to healthcare after the pandemic among men and women, stratified by educational level. We also examined the change in demand for various healthcare services, stratified by self-reported experience of financial difficulty due to the pandemic. Findings: Among those who reported a need to seek healthcare in South Africa, there was statistically significant decline in the ability to see a healthcare provider during the pandemic among women but not among men; this gender gap was more evident in the group that did not have post-secondary education (OR=0.08, p=0.04 for women; no change for men) than for those with post-secondary education (OR=0.2, p=0.24 for women; OR=0.5, p =0.69 for men). South African women who were financially affected had a significant decline in seeking preventive care during the pandemic (0.23, p =0.04). No conclusive effects were noted in Nigeria or Kenya. Interpretation: In South Africa, the pandemic and its strict control measures have adversely and disproportionately impacted disadvantaged women, which has implications for the nature of the long-term impact as well as mitigation and preparedness plans. Funding: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Declaration of Interest: None to declare.
Genomics Resources for Conifers

Genomic techniques and technologies are revolutionizing the biological sciences, and the impact that this new approach to biology will have on forestry will be nothing short of profound. A hallmark of the genomic sciences is rapid release of large datasets to the public via the Internet with the expectation that important and useful information will be gleaned more efficiently when multiple groups of researchers are allowed to apply a wide variety of bioinformatics tools independently to the analysis of these datasets. Although the development of genomic datasets for conifers has lagged the torrent of information being made available for various model systems and organisms of biomedical interest, the resources are growing rapidly and with them come great opportunities to mine the data for new research hypotheses. This chapter sumamrizes the content of conifer information available at the major public repositories of genomic data, as well as conifer data housed at smaller online sites. Available bioinformatics tools are also discussed.
Lipid insertion domain unfolding regulates protein orientational transition behavior in a lipid bilayer.

Abstract We have used coarse-grained (CG) and united atom (UA) molecular dynamics simulations to explore the mechanisms of protein orientational transition of a model peptide (Aβ 42 ) in a phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (PC/CHO) lipid bilayer. We started with an inserted state of Aβ 42 containing a folded (I) or unfolded (II) K28-A42 lipid insertion domain (LID), which was stabilized by the K28-snorkeling and A42-anchoring to the PC polar groups in the lipid bilayer. After a UA-to-CG transformation and a 1000 ns-CG simulation for enhancing the sampling of protein orientations, we discovered two transitions: I-to-“deep inserted” state with disrupted K28-snorkeling and II-to-“deep surface” state with disrupted A42-anchoring. The new states remained stable after a CG-to-UA transformation and a 200 ns-UA simulation relaxation. Significant changes in the cholesterol-binding domain of Aβ 42 and protein-induced membrane disruptions were evident after the transitions. We propose that the conformation of the LID regulates protein orientational transitions in the lipid membrane.
Cognitive systems in energy and utilities area interactive assistant

Information technology is entering era of cognitive computing. Cognitive systems based on Q/A technology can significantly extend way of humankind knowledge level. Such systems can be currently used in energy and utility area as engagement advisors, discovery advisors and analytical Q/A tolls.
Controlling factors in the maintenance of plasma cholesterol concentration in the rabbit

We have investigated factors important in the maintenance of plasma cholesterol concentration in three groups of New Zealand white rabbits fed either a cholesterol-free, commercial stock diet or an atherogenic diet consisting of stock diet supplemented with 0.1% cholesterol and 10% corn oil. When fed stock diet, the plasma cholesterol concentration in female rabbits (164 mg/100 ml) of one strain was significantly greater than plasma cholesterol concentration in males (67 mg/100 ml) of the same strain or in females (62 mg/100 ml) of another strain. Cholesterol absorption and turnover, steroid excretion and tissue cholesterol storage were examined. The percentage of an oral dose of isotopically labeled cholesterol absorbed could not account for group differences in plasma cholesterol concentrations and was not changed by cholesterol supplementation for 3 weeks. Turnover of plasma cholesterol conformed to a two-pool model in rabbits fed stock diet and the atherogenic diet. In rabbits fed the atherogenic diet, the irreversible disposal rate from pool A and total acidic steroid excretion were inversely related to plasma cholesterol concentration. One controlling factor in the maintenance of relatively low plasma cholesterol concentrations in cholesterol-fed rabbits appears to be enhanced bile acid excretion.
Chronic pain and fatigue syndromes: Overlapping clinical and neuroendocrine features and potential pathogenic mechanisms

Patients with unexplained chronic pain and/or fatigue have been described for centuries in the medical literature, although the terms used to describe these symptom complexes have changed frequently. The currently preferred terms for these syndromes are fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, names which describe the prominent clinical features of the illness without any attempt to identify the cause. This review delineates the definitions of these syndromes, and the overlapping clinical features. A hypothesis is presented to demonstrate how genetic and environmental factors may interact to cause the development of these syndromes, which we postulate are caused by central nervous system dysfunction. Various components of the central nervous system appear to be involved, including the hypothalamic pituitary axes, pain-processing pathways, and autonomic nervous system. These central nervous system changes lead to corresponding changes in immune function, which we postulate are epiphenomena rather than the cause of the illnesses.
The Routledge international handbook of globalization studies

The second edition of the Routledge International Handbook of Globalization Studies offers students clear and informed chapters on the history of globalization and key theories that have considered the causes and consequences of the globalization process. There are substantive sections looking at demographic, economic, technological, social and cultural changes in globalization. The handbook examines many negative aspects – new wars, slavery, illegal migration, pollution and inequality – but concludes with an examination of responses to these problems through human rights organizations, international labour law and the growth of cosmopolitanism. There is a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches with essays covering sociology, demography, economics, politics, anthropology and history. The second edition has been completely revised and features important new thinking on themes such as Islamophobia and the globalization of religious conflict, shifts in global energy production such as fracking, global inequalities, fiscal transformations of the state and problems of taxation, globalization and higher education, and an analysis of the general sense of catastrophe that surrounds contemporary understandings of the consequences of a global world.
Fuse Observations of the Vela Supernova Remnant

Observations of the Vela SNR obtained with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer probe the emission from several shock interactions. C III λ977 emission at +100 km s−1 is detected at a number of locations. The line strength is approximately the same in each of these spectra suggesting the presence of a rather uniform shock across the receding face of the remnant. Dynamic pressures driving the shocks differ from one place to another, and are significantly higher than the average thermal pressure in the X-ray gas.
An FPGA based passive k-delta-1-sigma modulator

An FPGA based 2nd-order passive KD1S sigma-delta modulator was designed, simulated and tested. The design is implemented on an Altera Cyclone IV EP4CE115 FPGA. All active components such as digital logic, clock circuitry, and registers are located internally on the FPGA chip with only passive RC lumped analog components located off chip. The circuit uses eight logic elements and two PLL blocks on the FPGA to create an eight path KD1S sigma-delta modulator. The design performance was quantified at effective sampling rates of 80 MHz and 450 MHz. The implementation achieved a peak SNR of 58 dB and an ENOB of 9.3 bits at a 450 MHz effective sampling rate. The key benefit of this approach is the absence of active analog components, very low power, and high-speed sampling.
Exploiting a computation reuse cache to reduce energy in network processors

High end routers are targeted at providing worst case throughput guarantees over latency. Caches on the other hand are meant to help latency not throughput in a traditional processor, and provide no additional throughput for a balanced network processor design. This is why most high end routers do not use caches for their data plane algorithms. In this paper we examine how to use a cache for a balanced high bandwidth network processor. We focus on using a cache not as a latency saving mechanism, but as an energy saving device. We propose using a Computation Reuse Cache that caches the answer to a query for data-plane algorithms, where the tags are the inputs to the query and the block the result of the query. This allows the data-plane algorithm to perform a complete query in one cache access if there is a hit. This creates slack by reducing the number of instructions executed. We then exploit this slack by fetch-gating the data-plane algorithm while matching the worst case throughput guarantees of the rest of the network processor. We evaluate the computation reuse cache for network data-plane algorithms IP-lookup, Packet Classification and NAT protocol.
Cost-Consciousness in Teaching Hospitals.

Teaching high-value care requires curricular aids, faculty training, dialogue and teamwork among residents and supervising faculty, and evaluating attending physicians on their practice and teaching of high-value care.
Histologic chorioamnionitis is associated with fetal growth restriction in term and preterm infants.

Abstract Objective: Our aim was to evaluate associations between chorioamnionitis and fetal growth restriction in infants enrolled in the Collaborative Perinatal Project. Study Design: A total of 2579 nonanomalous, singleton infants delivered at 28 to 44 weeks' gestation with chorioamnionitis were matched 1:3 for ethnicity, gestational age, parity, and maternal cigarette use (all of which were correlated with both chorioamnionitis and markers of fetal growth restriction) with 7732 control infants. Moderate or marked leukocytic infiltrates of the placenta defined chorioamnionitis. Birth weight, length, head circumference, weight/length ratio, ponderal index, and birth weight/head circumference ratio in the lowest 5th percentile were markers of fetal growth restriction. Placental weight and the birth weight/placental weight ratio were also evaluated. Results: Compared with data on matched control infants, histologic chorioamnionitis was associated with all markers of fetal growth restriction and with low birth weight/placental weight ratios (odds ratios, 1.3-1.7). The strongest associations were found at 28 to 32 weeks' gestation (odds ratios, 2.2-11). Attributable risks for several markers of fetal growth restriction exceeded 50% in infants born at Conclusion: Histologic chorioamnionitis is associated with multiple markers of fetal growth restriction, with stronger associations noted in prematurity. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:1094-9.)
Co-occurring risk behaviors among White, Black, and Hispanic US high school adolescents with suicide attempts requiring medical attention, 1999-2007: Implications for future prevention initiatives

To identify subtypes of adolescent suicide attempters by examining risk profiles related to substance use, violent behavior, and depressive symptoms. To examine the relationship between these subtypes and having had two or more suicide attempts during the past year. To explore race and gender differences across subtypes of suicide attempters. Data were combined from five nationally representative cohorts of the US Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and focused on a subpopulation of youth who reported a suicide attempt requiring medical attention. Latent class analysis was used to identify subtypes of suicide attempters. Analysis yielded three classes of youth who attempted suicide, distinguishable by their levels of substance use and violent behaviors: low substance use and violent behaviors, high substance use and violent behaviors, and extreme substance use and violent behaviors. All three classes had a high propensity for endorsing depressive symptoms. The proportion of youth with two or more suicide attempts during the past year increased across subgroup of attempters with higher levels of substance use and violent behaviors. Racial and gender differences were found across subtypes of suicide attempters. Preventing and treating the co-occurrence of substance use and violent behaviors may serve as essential strategies for reducing suicide attempts, especially among male youth. The use of public health strategies for suicide prevention should take into account the different needs of youth at risk for suicide.