cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictors of 1-, 6- and 12-month smoking cessation among a community-recruited sample of adult smokers in the United States

Baseline socio-demographics, substance use and smoking history characteristics, as well as intratreatment indicators (i.e. nicotine patch adherence and tobacco use during patch treatment) of smoking cessation were examined among 65 community-based adult male smokers recruited from a metropolitan area within the United States. All participants were recruited between 2009 and 2010 and were enrolled in an 8-week smoking cessation programme involving nicotine patch treatment and adjunctive counselling. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed to examine unique predictors of smoking status at 1-, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Abstinence rates at 1-, 6- and 12-month follow-up periods were 34%, 18% and 17%, respectively. Results indicated that less smoking during patch treatment, and particularly during weeks 1 through 3, was the most robust predictor of successful abstinence, and this predicted smoking status at all follow-up periods. These results underscore the importance of total abstinence during the cessation process, especially at the outset of treatment, which is paramount to ultimate cessation success. Study limitations and clinical implications are discussed.
State-based analysis of necrotizing enterocolitis outcomes.

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of the newborn. We hypothesized that patient and institution level factors lead to NEC-related outcome disparities. Methods We analyzed the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database for the years 1999–2004. We selected NEC-specific ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes. Mortality rate was the primary outcome measure, and length of stay was used a secondary end-point. We stratified the data by birth weight, gender, race/ethnicity, treatment, median household income, insurance status, admission type (inborn or outborn), and NICU levels. Results We identified 3328 infants with NEC (incidence of 1 per 1000 live births). Overall mortality within the NEC cohort was 12.5% (13.4 deaths per 100,000 live births). Male or Hispanic neonates were less likely to survive. Socioeconomic factors, including insurance status and parental median household income, were not predictors of mortality. Neonates treated surgically had a greater mortality rate compared with ones treated nonsurgically. PDA was present in 32% of patients with NEC, and these neonates were more likely to undergo gastrointestinal surgery. The odds of NEC-associated mortality in level IIIC units were significantly greater than any other NICU level. Admission type (inborn versus outborn) was not associated with increased mortality. Conclusions Disparities in NEC outcomes are multifactorial with patient- and treatment-specific factors contributing significantly to the unfavorable outcomes. These data suggest that advances in prediction modeling, prevention, and treatment algorithms are needed for clinicians and state health planners to positively impact this costly neonatal condition.
Loss in Efficiency Caused by Omitting Covariates and Misspecifying Exposure in Logistic Regression Models

We examine the effects of omitting covariates and misspecifying the explanatory variable of interest on tests of association between the explanatory variable and response based on logistic regression models. We assume throughout that the covariates are statistically independent of the explanatory variable, as under simple randomization. A general expression for the asymptotic loss in efficiency from omitting covariates and misspecifying the explanatory variable is derived. The expression for the asymptotic efficiency of the misspecified test statistic relative to the correctly specified test can be factored into two parts, each of which is less than or equal to 1. The first part reflects the consequences of misspecifying exposure, whereas the other part captures the effect of omitting needed covariates. This result permits numerical evaluation of the approximate loss in efficiency and can be useful in developing guidelines for study design and model-fitting procedures. We discuss applications of the resul...
Egg-sperm interactions at fertilization in mammals.

Mammalian eggs are surrounded by a zona pellucida (ZP) that regulates egg–sperm teractions during fertilization. The ZP consists of long filaments composed of two glycoproteins, ZP2 and ZP3, that are crosslinked by a third glycoprotein, ZP1. The presence of both ZP2 and ZP3 is essential for assembling a ZP around growing oocytes, as well as for fertility of females. Acrosome-intact sperm recognize and bind to O-linked oligosaccharides linked to Ser residues at the sperm combining-site of ZP3. Structural differences in oligosaccharides on ZP3 from different species may account for whether or not sperm are able to bind to the ZP. Bound sperm undergo the acrosome reaction, penetrate the ZP, and can then fuse with egg plasma membrane. Following fertilization, sperm are unable to bind to either ZP3 or the ZP of one-cell embryos.
Rethinking the Hierarchy of Sugar Utilization in Bacteria

Bacteria are known to consume some sugars over others, although recent work reported by Koirala and colleagues in this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology (S. Koirala, X. Wang, and C. V. Rao, J Bacteriol 198:386-393, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.00709-15) revealed that individual cells do not necessarily follow this hierarchy. By studying the preferential consumption of l-arabinose over d-xylose in Escherichia coli, those authors found that subpopulations consume one, the other, or both sugars through cross-repression between utilization pathways. Their findings challenge classic assertions about established hierarchies and can guide efforts to engineer the simultaneous utilization of multiple sugars.
Phoenix Ancient Art and the Aboutaams in Hot Water Again

An examination of an arrest for smuggling antiquities out of Egypt.Phoenix Ancient Art was founded in Beirut, Lebanon in the 1960s by Sleiman Aboutaam, and is now located in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland. After Sleiman’s death in 1998, the business was taken over by his sons, Ali and Hicham. The gallery does more business in antiquities than Sotheby’s and Christie’s combined, and the business continues to grow. However, the Aboutaams have been implicated in numerous cases involving provenance and looting disputes.
A fully human scFv phage display library for rapid antibody fragment reformatting

Phage display libraries of human single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) are a reliable source of fully human antibodies for scientific and clinical applications. Frequently, scFvs form the basis of larger, bivalent formats to increase valency and avidity. A small and versatile bivalent antibody fragment is the diabody, a cross-paired scFv dimer (∼55 kDa). However, generation of diabodies from selected scFvs requires decreasing the length of the interdomain scFv linker, typically by overlap PCR. To simplify this process, we designed two scFv linkers with integrated restriction sites for easy linker length reduction (17-residue to 7-residue or 18-residue to 5-residue, respectively) and generated two fully human scFv phage display libraries. The larger library (9 × 10(9) functional members) was employed for selection against a model antigen, human N-cadherin, yielding novel scFv clones with low nanomolar monovalent affinities. ScFv clones from both libraries were reformatted into diabodies by restriction enzyme digestion and re-ligation. Size-exclusion chromatography analysis confirmed the proper dimerization of most of the diabodies. In conclusion, these specially designed scFv phage display libraries allow us to rapidly reformat the selected scFvs into diabodies, which can greatly accelerate early stage antibody development when bivalent fragments are needed for candidate screening.
Ca2+ release from ryanodine-sensitive store contributes to mechanism of hypoxic vasoconstriction in rat lungs

Studies of thapsigargin, cyclopiazonic acid, and ryanodine in isolated pulmonary arteries and smooth muscle cells suggest that release of Ca2+ from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)- and/or ryanod...
Variations in Specialized Policing Response Models as a Function of Community Characteristics- A Survey of Crisis Intervention Team Coordinators

VARIATIONS IN SPECIALIZED POLICING RESPONSE MODELS AS A FUNCTION OF COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS-A SURVEY OF CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM COORDINATORS By Anna M. Young, M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Major Director: Dr. William Pelfrey Jr. Associate Professor, Program Chair, Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Although a specific program called the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) has been generally recognized as the best-practice model that addresses the needs of the police officers in responding to mental health calls, many jurisdictions across the country have not only adopted the full CIT model but also have taken the liberty of adding new components and/or removing components of the original model in order to create a unique program that fits the needs of their individual community. The issue of differentiated adaptations of the original CIT model has created a controversy around best practice in the area of police response to individuals with mental health issues who are in crisis. Using an on-line survey and interview methods, this study examined a relationship between the degree of variation within specialized policing response models and their corresponding community characteristics. Previous research shows that the components of the original CIT model have positive influence on officers’ confidence in interacting with people with mental illness. Therefore, this study also hypothesized that a rating of an SPR police officers’ job satisfaction was likely to correlate with the degree to which an SPR program adhered to the original CIT model. The study found that mental health resources, extent of presence of special populations in a community, existence of SPR policies in law enforcement, mental health, and dispatch departments, and how much law enforcement and mental health administrators supported the program, all predicted the degree of total deviation of a program from the original CIT model. Population density, related to a distinction between rural and non-rural communities, did not predict the degree of deviation from the original CIT model. The study also found that the degree of deviation of a program from the original CIT model did not strongly predict the rating of SPR officers’ job satisfaction. The study discusses the possible reasons for the results as well as implications for stakeholders who are considering implementation of a Specialized Policing Response model in their communities. Limitations of the current study’s research design are also discussed.
Hemolytic Phage-Bacterium Conjugates

The production of hemolytic bacteriophage-bacterium conjugates was reported by Friedberger and Vallen.1 Apparently identical aggressive conjugates were afterwards isolated from clinical material.2 The non-hemolytic microorganisms which can be transformed into erythrolytic variants by phage-“hybridization” include B. typhosus, B. dysenteriœ, B. paratyphosus, B. suipestifer, S. cholerœ, and B. coli. In order to obtain material for an immunochemic and genetic study of such “hybrids,” we have tested the erythrolytic powers of 75 conjugates, formed by combining 11 local typhoid strains with 7 demonstrably active antityphoid bacteriophages. Each bacteriophage was first grown for 3 to 6 test-tube generations on each of the 11 typhoid strains. In 67 of the 77 combinations powerful lysis was noted. The 67 resulting apparently completely lysed typhoid cultures were incubated for an additional period of 48 to 72 hours. In 65 of the tubes an overgrowth with phage-resistant B. typhosus took place. Hemolytic titers of ...
Early Indicators of Hearing Conservation Program Performance

Retrospective analysis of initial audiograms from 21 hearing conservation programs (HCPs) revealed several statistical protocols capable of identifying HCPs of known performance. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protocols clearly identified 3 HCPs known to have demonstrated excellent overall programs . ANSI and OSHA outcomes appeared equivalent in ability to provide early warnings of potentially unacceptable HCP practices.
Looking for a Process Model of Dialogue: Speculations from the Perspective of Artificial Intelligence

My aim here is to attempt to determine some of the rules that may legitimately be used for the process of response creation in a conversational setting. My assumption is that people bring a great deal of background information and rules about how to interpret what someone really means to the conversational setting. The process of communication is extremely complex, hence it is possible to make many different responses to a sentence. Also, sometimes the very act of not taking one of these options can be a statement in itself. Thus a large part of the conversational process takes place under the surface of the actual conversation. Our task, then, in trying to spell out the rules that people use in conversing, is to respond to all of what is going on, rather than solely to what is going on at the surface.
Cracks in the “Regulatory State”:

Over the last 30 years, the U.S. states has retreated from its regulatory responsibility over private-sector economic activities. Over the same period, a celebratory literature, mostly in political...
Illicit coca grown in Mexico: An alkaloid and isotope profile unlike coca grown in South America

Abstract Illicit coca has historically been cultivated in the Andean ridge of South America. A field of illicit coca was seized in late 2014 within the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The leaf was identified chemosystematically and the cocaine extracted from it was subjected to alkaloid and isotope analyses to determine its geospatial profile. The leaf was determined to be Erythroxylum novogranatense var. truxillense containing 0.36% cocaine. The leaf contained extraordinary levels of 1-hydroxytropacocaine (21.3%) and cinnamoylcocaines (242%), relative to cocaine. The 2H incorporated within the cocaine was enriched (−178.3‰), while 15N was quite depleted (−12.9‰). Incorporation of 18O and 13C into the cocaine were mid-range (17.4‰ and −34.3‰, respectively). The alkaloid and isotope profiles of the extracted cocaine were unlike any of the known 19 regional profiles within South America. The unique profile of Mexican coca will be a useful indicator for determining if any cocaine samples seized within the United States actually originated from coca grown in Mexico.
Gastric Secretion and Motility in Duodenal Ulcer: Effect of Current Vagotomies

Proximal gastric vagotomy, total gastric vagotomy, and truncal vagotomy all decrease gastric secretion of acid and pepsinogen, increase the concentration of gastrin in the serum, impair gastric receptive relaxation and accommodation, and speed gastric emptying of liquids. Only proximal gastric vagotomy preserves antral motility, gastric emptying of solids, and the pyloric barrier to duodenal-gastric reflux.
Real-time incoherent optical correlator

We have previously described and demonstrated real-time image correlators1–3 in which 1-D acoustooptic devices are used as input spatial light modulators and 2-D processing is accomplished through a combination of temporal and spatial integration. A new incoherent architecture is described and experimentally demonstrated. The system is shown in Fig. 1. An input image is sensed by a TV camera, and its video signal is used to temporally modulate the intensity of the laser diode. A transparency of the second Image is stored in the optical system.
Endoscopic resection is effective for the treatment of bleeding gastric hyperplastic polyps in patients with and without cirrhosis.

Background and study aims: Gastric hyperplastic polyps (GHP) have been identified as a cause of transfusion-dependent iron-deficiency anemia (tIDA) and transfusion-dependent gastrointestinal bleeding and are commonly identified in the setting of cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of endoscopic resection (ER) for the treatment of tIDA or gastrointestinal bleeding due to GHP in patients with and without liver disease. Patients and methods: This was a single-center retrospective review. The primary outcome was clinical success of ER (no transfusion or repeat ER in the following 6 months after first ER). Secondary outcomes included technical success, recurrence of GHP with tIDA or gastrointestinal bleeding, and adverse events (AEs). Results: Sixty-three patients with GHP were included of whom 20 (31 %) had cirrhosis. The majority with cirrhosis presented with gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 13, 65 %, P = 0.52), whereas the majority of non-cirrhotics presented with tIDA (n = 30, 70 %, P = 0.01). Technical success was 100 % with no AEs. The clinical success rate was 94 % (95 % in cirrhotics, 93 % in non-cirrhotics, P = 0.46). The recurrence rate was 32 % (40 % in cirrhotics and 28 % in non-cirrhotics, P = 0.35) with mean time to recurrence of 17.3 ± 13.9 months ( P = 0.22). Of those with recurrence, 75 % had no further tIDA or gastrointestinal bleeding after repeat ER (mean follow-up 20 ±11 months). Conclusions: ER is an effective treatment for GHP that causes tIDA or gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients with GHP and cirrhosis tend to present with bleeding rather than anemia and have more frequent recurrence. Symptomatic recurrence of GHP is common and should be recognized early as repeat ER appears to be effective.
Photovoltaic module stability and reliability

Abstract Profits realized from investment in photovoltaic will benefit from decades of reliable operation. Service life prediction through accelerated tests is only possible if indoor tests duplicate power loss and failure modes observed in fielded systems. Therefore, detailing and quantifying power loss and failure modes is imperative. In the first section, we examine recent trends in degradation rates, the gradual power loss observed for different technologies, climates and other significant factors. In the second section, we provide a summary of the most commonly observed failure modes in fielded systems.
The analysis of means (ANOM) for signal and noise

The methodology of the design of experiments has primarily been used to study the effects of a set of factors on the mean response. Two principal techniques used in such analyses are the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the analysis of means (ANOM)...
Timing & synchronization of lasers at XFELs

I will show preliminary results for an interference enabled cross-correlation that promises both improved signal levels and high-speed on-board processing that is expected for few-fs synchronization at high repetition rate x-ray free-electron lasers.
The legitimacy of elite gatekeeping

ABSTRACTNatasha Warikoo’s study of how students at Harvard, Brown, and Oxford Universities view race and fairness highlights the vast differences between the U.S. and Britain with respect to perceptions of meritocracy by these winners in the competition for places in elite institutions. The strict enforcement of uniform standards for admission is seen as critical and legitimate at Oxford, whereas a more holistic approach in the U.S. – one that sees racial diversity as an important and desirable part of the institution’s culture and identity – is seen as critical to a “diversity bargain”. I question the sources of students’ ideas about race and the diversity bargain, suggesting that they may be rooted more in their pre-college experiences than in their life at university. I also raise questions about whether and how an admissions lottery would work to address some of Warikoo’s concerns.
Prevention of C5aR1 signaling delays microglial inflammatory polarization, favors clearance pathways and suppresses cognitive loss.

Pharmacologic inhibition of C5aR1, a receptor for the complement activation proinflammatory fragment, C5a, suppressed pathology and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mouse models. To validate that the effect of the antagonist was specifically via C5aR1 inhibition, mice lacking C5aR1 were generated and compared in behavior and pathology. In addition, since C5aR1 is primarily expressed on cells of the myeloid lineage, and only to a lesser extent on endothelial cells and neurons in brain, gene expression in microglia isolated from adult brain at multiple ages was compared across all genotypes. C5aR1 knock out mice were crossed to the Arctic AD mouse model, and characterized for pathology and for behavior performance in a hippocampal dependent memory task. CX3CR1GFP and CCR2RFP reporter mice were bred to C5aR1 sufficient and knockout wild type and Arctic mice to enable sorting of microglia (GFP-positive, RFP-negative) isolated from adult brain at 2, 5, 7 and 10 months of age followed by RNA-seq analysis. A lack of C5aR1 prevented behavior deficits at 10 months, although amyloid plaque load was not altered. Immunohistochemical analysis showed no CCR2+ monocytes/macrophages near the plaques in the Arctic brain with or without C5aR1. Microglia were sorted from infiltrating monocytes (GFP and RFP-positive) for transcriptome analysis. RNA-seq analysis identified inflammation related genes as differentially expressed, with increased expression in the Arctic mice relative to wild type and decreased expression in the Arctic/C5aR1KO relative to Arctic. In addition, phagosomal-lysosomal gene expression was increased in the Arctic mice relative to wild type but further increased in the Arctic/C5aR1KO mice. A decrease in neuronal complexity was seen in hippocampus of 10 month old Arctic mice at the time that correlates with the behavior deficit, both of which were rescued in the Arctic/C5aR1KO. These data are consistent with microglial polarization in the absence of C5aR1 signaling reflecting decreased induction of inflammatory genes and enhancement of degradation/clearance pathways, which is accompanied by preservation of CA1 neuronal complexity and hippocampal dependent cognitive function. These results provide links between microglial responses and loss of cognitive performance and, combined with the previous pharmacological approach to inhibit C5aR1 signaling, support the potential of this receptor as a novel therapeutic target for AD in humans.
The Farm Economy: Future Research and Education Priorities

Research priorities for the U.S. farm economy include increasing the productivity and cost efficiency on current land resources while understanding production agriculture across the globe. Providing unbiased objective analysis to policymakers with regard to commodity programs, insurance markets, agricultural credit, and the production of bioenergy are important issues that directly affect not only the U.S. farm economy but other agricultural regions. The ability to manage risk, the increasing complexity of farm operations, the ability of the U.S. farm sector to be nimble to changes in individual and societal preferences, and the efficient discovery of information through efficient markets offer a wealth of research opportunities.
An Unusual Presentation of Late-Onset Alexander Disease with Slow Orthostatic Tremor and a Novel GFAP Variant (P6.065)

Objective: We report a case of symptomatic AOAD, with onset in the 8 th decade, presenting with slow variant orthostatic tremor, which has not been previously described. Background: Alexander disease (AxD) is a leukodystrophy, described in infantile, juvenile and adult onset forms, due to mutations in the glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) gene. Adult-onset AxD (AOAD) has a range of clinical and radiographic phenotypes with the oldest reported onset in the7 th decade of life. Design/Methods: This is a single case description. The patient was evaluated and cared for by a multi-specialty team that included: neurology, neuroradiology, and medical genetics. Results: In this patient with orthostatic tremor and gait dysfunction, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed encephalomalacia extending from the medulla to the upper cervical cord on T1 sagittal views. There was corresponding bilateral symmetric T2 hyperintensity in the ventral pons, extending inferiorly through the medulla to the level of the upper cervical cord. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous GFAP variant (c.1158C>A) that has not been previously reported in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). Conclusions: Our case serves to expand the diagnostic spectrum of AOAD both clinically and genetically. Disclosure: Dr. Stitt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gavrilova has nothing to disclose. Dr. Watson Jr. has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hassan has nothing to disclose.
First Law of Thermodynamics: Applications

ΔE is determined from changes in other state variables such as volume and temperature or by measuring the net heat and work transferred across the system boundaries. Since both methods give the same ΔE, they are combined in a single equation
Change in Global Behavior: Bifurcation

In earlier chapters, we mainly discussed the effects of basic flow and topography separately. In real geophysical flows, however, both factors are often of importance, especially for low level flows. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate the problem from the point of view further, in order to better understand the roles of topography and basic flow. In what follows, we combine these two factors to investigate the bifurcation properties of the evolution of a wave packet (Yang, 1988b).
Do MicroRNAs preferentially target the genes with low DNA methylation level at the promoter region

DNA methylation in genes' promoter regions and microRNA (miRNA) regulation at the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) are two major epigenetic regulation mechanisms in majority of eukaryotes. Both DNA methylation of gene's 5'promoter region and miRNA targeting 3' UTR can suppress gene expression and play very important roles in regulating many cellular processes. Although the gene silencing role of both promoter methylation regulation and the miRNA targeting have been well investigated, the relationship between them remains largely unknown. In this study, we used human single base-resolution methylome data of two cell lines to investigate the relationship between them. Our preliminary results suggested that there is a functional complementation between transcriptional promoter methylation and post-transcriptional miRNA regulation, suggesting a possible combined regulation system in the cellular system.
Prioritizing Archaeological Inventory and Protection with Predictive Probability Models at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, USA

To prioritize archaeological site inventory and protection at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Glen Canyon NRA), predictive probability models were developed using the Random Forests machine l...
Combatting Food Insecurity on a Mid sized Public University Campus in the Midwest

Students and faculty at a rural university in Western Kansas took steps to decrease food insecurity in the campus population through the establishment of a campus garden and food pantry. Over a two-year period, the campus garden was relocated and expanded to provide easy access to faculty, staff, and students. The campus food pantry was enhanced to include cold and frozen foods and well as staple items. Survey results showed an increase in participation of both the garden and food pantry over the two-year period.
Evaluation of radioiodinated protein conjugates and their potential metabolites containing lysine-urea-glutamate (LuG), PEG and closo-decaborate(2-) as models for targeting astatine-211 to metastatic prostate cancer.

Abstract Introduction The use of lysine-urea-glutamate (LuG) for targeting the PSMA antigen on prostate cancer (PCa) is a promising method for delivering the alpha particle-emitting radionuclide astatine-211 (211At) to metastatic PCa. High kidney localization has been a problem with radiolabeled LuG derivatives, but has been adequately addressed in radiometal-labeled DOTA-LuG derivatives by linker optimization. Herein, we report an investigation of an alternate approach to diminishing the kidney concentrations of radiolabeled LuG-containing compounds. Methods Our approach involves PEGylated LuG moieties and closo-decaborate (2-) moieties conjugated to streptavidin (SAv) or human serum albumin (HSA). After preparing the LuG conjugates, SAv and HSA conjugates were succinylated to decrease their kidney localization and radioiodinated for evaluation in athymic mice bearing C4-2B osseous PCa tumor xenografts. Results Covalently attaching LuG to succinylated SAv and HSA significantly reduced kidney localization, but unfortunately succinylation resulted in decreased tumor concentrations. In contrast, a potential metabolite [131I]16b, an unconjugated LuG derivative containing a dPEG4® linker, provided tumor concentrations of ~15% ID/g at 4 h pi. A second unconjugated LuG derivative with a similar structure, but containing a dPEG12® linker, [131I]16a had tumor concentrations of ~4%ID/g at 4 h pi. Those results suggest that long PEG linkers also affect tumor localization in a negative manner. Conclusion Conjugation of PEGylated LuG derivatives to proteins can be an effective approach to diminishing kidney localization of radiolabeled LuG reagents, but the protein, linker and the method of linkage need to be further studied. Additionally, modification of the unconjugated 16b to decrease kidney localization may provide PCa targeting agents for use with radiohalogens, including 211At. Advances in knowledge and implications for patient care: This study is the first to evaluate PEGylated LuG and closo-decaborate (2-) moieties conjugated to proteins as potential methods for diminishing the kidney concentrations of radiolabeled LuG-containing compounds.
2D peak fitting for the analysis of radioxenon beta gamma spectra

Atmospheric traces of radioactive xenon, in particular $$^{131m}{\text {Xe}}$$ , $$^{133}{\text {Xe}}$$ , $$^{133m}{\text {Xe}}$$ and $$^{135}{\text {Xe}}$$ , can provide “smoking gun” evidence to classify underground nuclear fission reactions. Current software used to quantify isomer concentrations relies on a Region of Interest (ROI) method to sort beta-gamma coincidence counts. This experiences errors when classifying nuclides, especially with metastable nuclides, due to the difficulty of deconvoluting overlapping ROIs and accounting for shifts in detector calibration over time. To address this uncertainty, our technique mathematically models the distinctive peaks in an isomer’s beta-gamma spectrum. The function representations are then fitted to measured spectra to determine the concentrations of the primary isomers in the sample. From this proof-of-concept, we hope to create a more precise and accurate system to detect nuclear fission reactions.
Adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with maternal syphilis infection

Syphilis infections affect many pregnant women worldwide every year. The increasing rates of maternal and congenital syphilis infections in recent years in the United States necessitates further in...
Analyzing the Short-Term Dependency in Ultra-High Magnetic Response Systems - Modeling Sequential Data with Non-Recurrent Neural Networks

Abstract Recurrent neural network (RNN) is a popular modeling choice for sequential data. However, empirical experience shows RNNs are often difficult and time-consuming to tune and customize. It drives practitioners to replace RNNs with non-recurrent neural networks which presented comparable performances in some cases. The success of using non-recurrent neural networks to model sequential data indicates the short-term dependency among sequential data. In this paper, we systematically analyze the short-term dependency in ultra-high magnetic response systems (UHMR) with partial system knowledge based on the observability criterion of the dynamic systems. Moreover, we show that the sequential data in the UHMR system only have 2-step dependency. This result indicates that any consecutive three steps in an experiment form a datum to train a feed-forward neural network (FFNN). Therefore, sufficient data can be collected within a small number of experiments. Based on the analysis, we train a feed-forward neural network to model the UHMR system based on the sequential data from four experiments. Through proper data pre-processing, the FFNN model can predict the system performance with bounded mean absolute error.
First Do No Harm: Moving Beyond Universal Preprocedural Testing for COVID-19

Preprocedural testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was introduced early in the pandemic in an effort to protect health care workers, direct appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and improve patient outcomes. In light of our appreciation for the efficacy of PPE and the nuances associated with interpretation of polymerase chain reaction testing for SARS-CoV-2, particularly as community transmission decreases, we call for a re-evaluation of universal preprocedural testing. We propose a transition to a patient-centered approach, focusing on testing patients whose outcomes would be improved by a delayed procedure in the event of a positive test and a greater reliance on appropriate PPE rather than preprocedural test results. We recommend that a community infection rate threshold be set at which point preprocedural testing is discontinued, understanding that there is an inflection point at which testing downsides outweigh the benefits.
Corrigendum on “Multiproduct equilibrium price dispersion” [J. Econ. Theory 67 (1) (1995) 83–105]

Abstract McAfee (1995) proposes a model of price dispersion with multiproduct firms. Theorem 7 in McAfee (1995) incorrectly characterizes one class of equilibria in this setting, constant profits equilibria. I provide a counterexample to this theorem and show that two main features McAfee (1995) emphasizes are still true: such equilibria can exist with more than two products but cannot exist if the number of products tends to infinity.
Allograft discard risk index for heart transplantation.

The number of patients awaiting heart transplantation (HTx) substantially exceeds the number of donor hearts transplanted each year, yet nearly 65% of eligible donor hearts are discarded rather than transplanted. Deceased organ donors listed within the UNOS Deceased Donor Database between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed. Those greater than 10 years old and consented for heart donation were included and randomly separated into training (n = 48,435) and validation (n = 24,217) cohorts. A discard risk index (DSRI) was created using the results of univariable and multivariable analyses. Discard data were assessed at DSRI value deciles, and stratum-specific likelihood ratio (SSLR) analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival function were used for mortality data. Factors associated with higher DSRI values included donor age > 45, LVEF, HBV-core antibodies, hypertension, and diabetes. The DSRI C-statistic was 0.906 in the training cohort and 0.904 in the validation cohort. The DSRI did not reliably predict 30-day or 1-year mortality after transplantation (C-statistic 0.539 & 0.532, respectively). The factors leading to heart allograft discard are not correlated to the same degree with post-transplant outcomes. This suggests that optimizing utilization of certain allografts with slightly higher risk of discard could increase the heart donor pool with limited impact on posttransplant mortality. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Syphilitic interstitial keratitis treated with topical tacrolimus.

Abstract Purpose To report a case of syphilitic interstitial keratitis successfully managed with topical tacrolimus after the development of steroid-induced intraocular pressure elevation in a pediatric patient. Observations A 4-year-old female with a history of congenital syphilis that was reportedly treated after birth presented with bilateral conjunctival redness, tearing, and photosensitivity. Initial ophthalmic examination revealed corneal vascularization with diffuse haze of the right eye and circumferential vascularization with stromal infiltrates of the left eye. She was diagnosed with bilateral syphilitic interstitial keratitis and initially managed with topical steroids but developed steroid-induced elevation of her intraocular pressure. She experienced several recurrences of keratitis as steroids were tapered. After a recurrence in her right eye, she was treated with topical tacrolimus. Since then, she has remained recurrence-free for almost three years with normal intraocular pressure. Conclusion and importance Tacrolimus represents a novel alternative for the treatment of syphilitic interstitial keratitis, which is particularly useful in patients that develop elevated intraocular pressures in response to long-term treatment with steroid eye drops.
Patient Experience as a Clinical Care Component

Periodontal therapy and treatment focus at ceasing the infection and thereby maintaining a healthy periodontium. Regular mechanical removal of microbial biofilms found sub gingivally is obligatory for management of inflammatory periodontal conditions.
Some Remarks on Measures Associated with Homogeneous Random Measures

This paper is an extension of some of the results in [3] and [4]. As in §8 of [4] we assume that X is a Borel right process with Lusin state space (E, ℰ) such that Xt-(ω) exists in E for 0 < t < ζ(ω) and ω € Ω. (Some of our results do not depend on the existence of left limits as will be clear from the context. However, for simplicity of exposition we shall assume this hypothesis throughout this paper.) In addition, we fix an arbitrary σ-finite excessive measure, m.
Playful Civic Learning: Enabling Lateral Trust and Reflection in Game-based Public Participation

Attempts to improve participation in civic life often focus on increasing the number of citizens engaged rather than improving the quality of engagement. As digital interventions flood the civic space, investigating the mediating interfaces that provide opportunities for deeper engagement becomes necessary. This article engages in design-based research that assesses the affordances and effects of one such platform: an interactive online game for local engagement called Community PlanIt (CPI). Drawing on an analysis of game mechanics, in-game actions, and interviews and focus groups with players, we ask if and how CPI can move citizen participation beyond isolated transactions. We draw two conclusions: CPI creates and strengthens trust among individuals and local community groups that is linked to confidence in the process of engaging, and it encourages interactive practices of engagement that we define as civic learning .
Hard and soft data fusion for joint tracking and classification/intent-detection

In many application scenarios such as target tracking, one is confronted with the problem of suitably fusing both hard data (e.g., radar, acoustic) and soft data (e.g., text from blogs, or witness statements). Complicating this challenge are the imperfections inherent within soft text data which possess semantic uncertainty, in addition to uncertainty regarding the source reliability and statement credibility. While natural language processing can convert text into uncertainty-augmented first order logic, the question of how to incorporate such soft data models into estimation and tracking remains an important fundamental issue. In this paper, we develop a Bayesian filtering and tracking framework for incorporating both hard and soft data, demonstrating how the probability posterior can be decomposed into a product of combining functions over subsets of the state and measurement variables. This combining function approach offers a framework for the development and incorporation of more sophisticated uncertainty modeling and tracking/estimation models.
Coordination & Organometallic Chemistry: Principles

The title topic is reviewed. Under coordination chemistry, special attention is given to Werner complexes, the trans effect, soft and hard ligands, crystal and ligand field (LF) models, together with oxidation state and coordination number. Under organometallic chemistry, the main topics include electroneutrality, back bonding, the 18-electron rule, and effects of complexation. Keywords: coordination complexes; trans effect; soft and hard ligands; crystal field; ligand field; electroneutrality; back bonding
Total strangers or soul mates? - antidumping and competition policies in Latin America and the Caribbean

As a result of trade reforms in the 1980s and 1990s Latin American and Caribbean countries became more open than at any time since World War II. However, these countries have recently begun to use antidumping measures as the new protection weapon of choice, as other barriers to trade have been reduced. In fact, the fastest growing antidumping actions are within regional integration arrangements, where they are being applied by member countries against each other. The authors argue that antidumping is anticompetitive and that its usual justification as a counter to predatory behavior is not relevant in the region. It is imperative, they say, that antidumping be contained if not altogether eliminated. While they find that safeguards are less anticompetitive than antidumping, they believe that all exceptional protection measures, such as antidumping, countervailing, and safeguards, should be considered together with competition policies. In other words, they should become soul mates rather than remain total strangers. The authors do not find that fine-tuning antidumping policy is a good option. Rather, they believe that both trade and competition policymaking ought to be brought under a single entity, as in Peru. This would lead to a more competitive solution.
The Bakke Case and the Future of 'Affirmative Action'

Allan Bakke twice applied for admission to the medical school of the University of California at Davis, a state university, and was twice rejected. The medical school had reserved sixteen of the hundred places in the entering class for economically or educationally disadvantaged individuals from four racial-ethnic groups: Negro, Asian, American Indian, and Chicano (Mexican-American). A disadvantaged applicant who was not a member of one of these four racial-ethnic groups was not eligible for the special admissions program. Although members of the designated racial-ethnic groups could also compete for the remaining eighty-four places in the regular application process, within the special admissions program they were not evaluated in comparison with regular applicants but only in comparison with each other. Average test scores and other measures of academic promise of those admitted under the special program were far below those of other entrants and of many rejected applicants, including Bakke. Bakke sued the University of California, alleging that his exclusion from the entering class was the result of racial discrimination in violation of the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,1 and the California Constitution. The California Supreme Court upheld Bakke's equal protection claim, holding that racial criteria could not be used to determine admission to a state educational institution.2 The court declined to consider his other grounds. The United States Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the California Supreme Court insofar as it ordered Bakke admitted to the Davis medical school, but reversed the judgment insofar as it enjoined the University from taking any account of race in its admissions decisions.3
Telemedicine: caring for patients across boundaries

Telemedicine combines computer, video and telecommunications to provide healthcare to patients at distant sites. With the improved camera and transmission technologies of the 1990s, telemedicine can be used in a variety of situations. There are two basic technological systems: live interactive video and still image ("store and forward"). Potential users include patients who live in rural or difficult to reach geographic areas, who are confined (i.e. prison inmates), Telemedicine can allow ambulatory patients to continue living at home rather than moving into costly nursing facilities. Home telemedicine also allows greater responsiveness and higher frequency of visits by home care nurses, potentially reducing future hospital visits and costs. Two home telemedicine models are the personal telemedicine unit and the enhanced personal telemedicine module with pc-based video. Telemedicine technologies developed by the military for use on the battlefield that could be adapted for civilian use include medical simulations, individual monitoring devices and biosensors, portable retinal display monitors, life support for trauma/transport, and diagnostic ultrasound imagery. Ultimately, the benefits of telemedicine will be consistency of care, easy access to specialized consultants, higher responsiveness to patient needs, and lower overall healthcare costs.
Analysis of Mouse RPE Sheet Morphology Gives Discriminatory Categories

We are interested in developing quantitative tools to study retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) morphology. We want to detect changes in the RPE by strain, disease, genotype, and age. Ultimately these tools should be useful in predicting retinal disease progression. The morphometric data will also help us to understand RPE sheet formation and barrier functions. A clear disruption of the regular cell size and shape appeared in mouse mutants. Aspect ratio and cell area together gave rise to principal components that predicted age and genotype accurately and well before visually obvious damage could be seen.
Early Interaction of Rhinoviruses with Host Cells

Abstract The rate of attachment of type 2 virions to suspensions of HeLa cells is much greater than that of type 14, but the number of receptor sites per cell is similar for each type. The receptor sites may be partly saturated with excess virions; attachment is greatly reduced after about 104 particles have been taken up per cell. A lack of saturation of type 14 receptors by excess type 2 indicates that their receptor sites are separate on the cell surface. Excess of type 2 blocks attachment of type 1A, however, and excess of type 14 blocks type 51. Attachment of the human rhinoviruses is temperature-dependent with a Q10 of 2.7. The eclipse reaction is also temperature-dependent. At 34.5 C, the irreversible eclipse of cell-associated rhinovirus type 2 requires only a few minutes, whereas the rate of eclipse of cell-associated type 14 is considerably slower. The eclipse product of type 2 rhinovirus has been recovered from infected cells. It sediments at about 90% of the rate of the infective virions and is missing virus polypeptide 4 (the smallest of the capsid polypeptides). Upon being subjected to CsCl gradient centrifugation, virus polypeptide 2 is also lost but the product still contains ribonucleic acid and bands at about 1.45 g/cc.
Can you hear me yet? An intracranial investigation of speech and non-speech audiovisual interactions in human cortex

In everyday conversation, viewing a talker's face can provide information about the timing and content of an upcoming speech signal, resulting in improved intelligibility. Using electrocorticography, we tested whether human auditory cortex in Heschl's gyrus (HG) and on superior temporal gyrus (STG) and motor cortex on precentral gyrus (PreC) were responsive to visual/gestural information prior to the onset of sound and whether early stages of auditory processing were sensitive to the visual content (speech syllable versus non-speech motion). Event-related band power (ERBP) in the high gamma band was content-specific prior to acoustic onset on STG and PreC, and ERBP in the beta band differed in all three areas. Following sound onset, we found with no evidence for content-specificity in HG, evidence for visual specificity in PreC, and specificity for both modalities in STG. These results support models of audio-visual processing in which sensory information is integrated in non-primary cortical areas.