cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylation of ryanodine receptor does affect calcium sparks in mouse ventricular myocytes

Previous studies in transgenic mice and with isolated ryanodine receptors (RyR) have indicated that Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) can phosphorylate RyR and activate local diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release events (Ca2+ sparks) and RyR channel opening. Here we use relatively controlled physiological conditions in saponin-permeabilized wild type (WT) and phospholamban knockout (PLB-KO) mouse ventricular myocytes to test whether exogenous preactivated CaMKII or endogenous CaMKII can enhance resting Ca2+ sparks. PLB-KO mice were used to preclude ancillary effects of CaMKII mediated by phospholamban phosphorylation. In both WT and PLB-KO myocytes, Ca2+ spark frequency was increased by both preactivated exogenous CaMKII and endogenous CaMKII. This effect was abolished by CaMKII inhibitor peptides. In contrast, protein kinase A catalytic subunit also enhanced Ca2+ spark frequency in WT, but had no effect in PLB-KO. Both endogenous and exogenous CaMKII increased SR Ca2+ content in WT (presumably via PLB phosphorylation), but not in PLB-KO. Exogenous calmodulin decreased Ca2+ spark frequency in both WT and PLB-KO (K0.5 approximately 100 nmol/L). Endogenous CaMKII (at 500 nmol/L [Ca2+]) phosphorylated RyR as completely in <4 minutes as the maximum achieved by preactivated exogenous CaMKII. After CaMKII activation Ca2+ sparks were longer in duration, and more frequent propagating SR Ca2+ release events were observed. We conclude that CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of RyR by endogenous associated CaMKII (but not PKA-dependent phosphorylation) increases resting SR Ca2+ release or leak. Moreover, this may explain the enhanced SR diastolic Ca2+ leak and certain triggered arrhythmias seen in heart failure.
Order selection and scheduling with leadtime flexibility

In this paper, we study integrated order selection and scheduling decisions, where the manufacturer has the flexibility to choose leadtimes. Our main goal is to provide a mechanism for coordinating order selection, leadtime and scheduling decisions and to determine under what conditions leadtime flexibility is most useful for increasing the manufacturer's profits. Through numerical analyses, we compare and contrast the benefits of leadtime flexibility and the flexibility to partially fulfill orders in different demand environments defined by the congestion level (or demand load), seasonality of the demand and order size. We consider both the cases where the manufacturer has and does not have the flexibility to produce orders early before they are committed.
Integrated inductors in the chip-to-board interconnect layer fabricated using solderless electroplating bonding

Integrated inductors are typically formed either on-chip or embedded in the chip package or board. In this work, we explore the possibility of forming inductors in the chip-to-board interconnect layer. The solderless technique of electroplating bonding is used to simultaneously form inductor structures as well as chip-to-board interconnect The use of the gap between the chip and substrate for inductors not only increases integration density, but also allows large magnetic cross-sectional areas to be achieved. To demonstrate the technology, 3- and 7-turn inductors 500 /spl mu/m in height were fabricated. These inductors showed inductance values of 3.45 nH and 10.5 nH, respectively. The measured Q-factors of the 3- and 7-turn inductors were 70 and 55 respectively, which agreed very well with modeling results.
Automatic Generation of Local Repairs for Boolean Programs

Automatic techniques for software verification focus on obtaining witnesses of program failure. Such counterexamples often fail to localize the precise cause of an error and usually do not suggest a repair strategy. We present an efficient algorithm to automatically generate a repair for an incorrect sequential Boolean program where program correctness is specified using a pre-condition and a post-condition. Our approach draws on standard techniques from predicate calculus to obtain annotations for the program statements. These annotations are then used to generate a synthesis query for each program statement, which if successful, yields a repair. Furthermore, we show that if a repair exists for a given program under specified conditions, our technique is always able to find it.
Fabricating Polymer Canopies onto Structured Surfaces Using Liquid Scaffolds

In this work, we study the use of initiated chemical vapor deposition in conjunction with liquid scaffolds to deposit polymer canopies onto structured surfaces. Liquid is applied to micropillar and microstructure surfaces to act as a scaffolding template such that the deposited polymer films take the shape of the liquid surface. Two methods for directing the location of the scaffolding liquid were examined. In the first method, high surface tension liquids rest in a Cassie–Baxter state over the structured surfaces, allowing for control over the canopy location and size by varying the position and volume of the liquid. In the second method, the structured surfaces are inverted onto a thin layer of low surface tension liquid, allowing the coverage and height of the canopy to be controlled by varying the area and thickness of the liquid layer. Although the canopies demonstrated in this study were fabricated using initiated chemical vapor deposition, the generality of our scaffolding method can easily be tran...
Femtosecond continuum generation near 1.5 µm from a color-center oscillator/amplifier system

The emergence of fiber-optic communications has fueled interest in femtosecond studies of InP/InGaAs heterostructures and other similar material systems which have a bandgap near 1.3 or 1.55 μm. The wavelength region of 1.2–1.6 μm is of particular interest. Femtosecond continuum pulses have proved to be useful for nondegenerate pump–probe measurements in the visible and the near infrared (near 800 nm). We describe here an amplified color-center laser system which generates femtosecond continuum pulses at kilohertz repetition rates, with starting wavelengths near 1.5 μm.
Sunshine and vitamin D

Vitamin D is vital for bone health and its deficiency deemed as a disease of the past has re-emerged as an important health concern. Exposure of the skin to solar ultraviolet B radiation is the major source of vitamin D and only a small proportion is derived from dietary intake. We review the various factors that influence the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D and the recommendations regarding safe sun exposure and dietary supplementation to achieve adequate vitamin D levels proposed for optimal bone health.
Names as Domains, Names as Marks: Issues Concerning the Interface Between Internet Domain Names and Trademark Rights

This book chapter addresses various domain name issues and the interface between registration of domain names and trademark rights. It provides technical and historical background to domain names disputes and moves to focus on particular matters of interest such as regulation in the U.S. and via ICANN, conflict of laws, international aspects, potential abuse of regulatory mechanisms, litigation strategies and freedom of speech issues.
Order in the Court (and in Your Sentences)

This article suggests ways to edit sentences by improving the structure, watching word choice, and making your words clear.
Total Cross Sections for Fission of U 238 Induced by He 4 and Heavy Ions

The total fission cross sections have been measured for bombardment of ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$ with ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$, ${\mathrm{B}}^{11}$, ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$, ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$, ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$, and ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$ ions at energies up to 10.4 MeV/nucleon. Because of the high fissionability of these systems, it is assumed that the fission cross section is equal to the total reaction cross section for heavy-ion reactions. The data have been compared with the theoretical cross-section calculations of Thomas, assuming (1) a square-well nuclear potential, and (2) a parabolic approximation to the real part of the optical potential. At energies well above the Coulomb barrier, the data are well represented using a square-well potential and ${r}_{0}=1.50$F. Near the barrier, however, the agreement is poor. With the parabolic approximation, the entire excitation function can be generally reproduced except in the case of ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$. For the ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ data, these calculations used a well depth ${V}_{0}=\ensuremath{-}67$ MeV, a nuclear radius ${r}_{0}=1.17$F, and a diffuseness parameter $d=0.574$F. These values for heavy ions were ${V}_{0}=\ensuremath{-}70$ MeV, ${r}_{0}=1.23 \mathrm{to} 1.26$F, and $d=0.50 \mathrm{to} 0.44$F, ${r}_{0}$ increasing and $d$ decreasing as a function of increasing heavy-ion mass.
A study of band-gap phenomena of two locally resonant acoustic metamaterials

The dynamic characteristics of two acoustic metamaterials were investigated using their representative mass-spring lattice models. Attention was focused on the band-gap behaviour of wave propagation in the two models. The study was carried out by performing finite element analyses. From the simulation results, it was found that both models have demonstrated the capability of filtering or blocking dynamic disturbances. However, in spite of having similar local resonance, the two models display different dynamic responses in the band gap. In addition, parametric studies of both metamaterials were carried out with the aim of providing a guide for the design of band gaps in acoustic metamaterials for desired functions.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY: LVI. J. E. PURKINJE (1787-1869), "THE PHENOMENON" AND BEYOND

Light-adaptation and dark-adaptation are complementary (not "identical") processes. Both came to be covered by the term "Purkinje phenomenon." While the phenomenology remains unaffected by the advances of science, our understanding of the histological details and the molecular events has increased dramatically. At the same time we are still in the dark as to who coined the term "Purkinje phenomenon" and what relevant observations preceded Purkinje's report of 1825. A comprehensive account of Purkinje's involvement in psychology and its significance is lacking.
OpenACC-based GPU Acceleration of a p-multigrid Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Compressible Flows on 3D Unstructured Grids

A GPU accelerated p-multigrid discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method based on the OpenACC directives is presented for compressible flows on 3-D unstructured grids. The present design is aimed to utilize the power of high-performance GPU computing with very little intrusion and algorithm alteration to a well-developed CPU-based code. Due to the fact that the GPU memory is still far from abundant for high-order DG methods even on a top-rank model, a p-multigrid technique is therefore preferred for convergence acceleration rather than an implicit algorithm that requires huge memory for storing high-order Jacobian matrices. In this study, a multi-stage explicit time stepping scheme is used for advancing the higher-order approximation in time, with a first-order matrix-free implicit backward Euler scheme applied to accelerate the lower-order approximation. A variety of inviscid flow problems are computed on an NVIDIA Tesla K20c GPU to assess the performance of the developed GPU-accelerated code using a strong scaling test. The numerical results indicate that the p-multigrid discontinuous Galerkin method can be effectively accelerated on GPU in comparison with two eight-core AMD Opteron-6128 CPUs for its CPU-based counterpart.
The Effect of the Adsorption of Metal Ions on the Interfacial Behavior of Silicate Minerals

Because of its importance in the fields of environmental and mineral engineering, the adsorption mechanism of metal ions on oxides has been studied rather extensively using such techniques as titration, adsorption isotherm determination, flotation and spectroscopy. However, limited work has been done to compare the behavior of hydrophilic silicates with those that are naturally hydrophobic. Our investigation was undertaken to provide a better understanding of the adsorption mechanism of selected metal ions at the solid/liquid interface through simultaneous measurements of zeta potentials, adsorption densities and turbidity on colloidal suspensions of two silicate minerals, quartz and talc, as a function of pH, to delineate the effect of hydrophobicity and surface heterogeniety on these processes.
Compressive Broad-Band Hyperspectral Sum Frequency Generation Microscopy to Study Functionalized Surfaces.

A broad-band sum frequency generation microscope has been developed for the study of molecular monolayers on surfaces. Because sum frequency generation is a vibrational spectroscopy based on a second-order optical process, it is uniquely sensitive to detecting a molecule’s vibrational fingerprints specifically at interfaces. In this microscope, a structured illumination beam generated by a spatial light modulator is used to irradiate the sample with a series of sparsifying pseudorandom patterns. The spectra associated with each pattern are then input into a reconstruction algorithm to compressively recover the full hyperspectral image cube. As a proof-of-principle, this system performed molecule-specific imaging of a microcontact-printed self-assembled monolayer of alkanethiolate on copper. This hyperspectral compressive imaging effectively recovered both spatial and spectral surface features with compression greater than 80%, meaning more than a 5-fold decrease in acquisition time compared to traditional...
Time is Money: Hospital Costs Associated With Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Lobectomies

Background Proposed changes in health care will place an increasing burden on surgeons to care for patients more efficiently to minimize cost. We reviewed costs surrounding video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomies to see where changes could be made to ensure maximum value. Methods We queried The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database for all VATS lobectomies performed for lung cancer from January 2011 to December 2013. Clinical data were linked with hospital financial data to determine hospital expenditures for each patient. Results In all, 263 VATS lobectomies were included. Mean operating room time was 236 minutes, and median length of stay was 4 days. Mean hospital cost was $19,769. The majority of cost (58%) was attributed to operating room and floor costs (length of stay), and the majority of operating room costs were secondary to room rate and staplers. A total of 77 complications, as defined by STS, occurred in the cohort; 41 patients had only one complication, 11 patients had two complications, and 6 patients had three or more complications. The occurrence of one complication was associated with a net loss of $496 whereas two complications in a patient led to a $3,882 net loss. Overall, complications were independently correlated with significant cost increases. Conclusions Our study shows that the most significant costs associated with VATS lobectomies relate to operating room time, stapler use, floor charges, and cost associated with complications. Cost-reducing strategies will need to concentrate on optimizing operating room times and reducing length of stay while simultaneously minimizing complications.
Ordered subsets acceleration using relaxed momentum for X-ray CT image reconstruction

Statistical image reconstruction in X-ray CT can provide decent images even with low dose, but requires substantial computation time. Recently, we have proposed combining ordered subsets (OS) methods and Nesterov's momentum technique for accelerated X-ray CT image reconstruction. We have observed rapid convergence speed of the proposed algorithms in our experiments, but sometimes encountered unstable behavior. Therefore, we introduce a diminishing step size rule, called a relaxed momentum approach, to stabilize the algorithm, while preserving the fast convergence rate. We use a real 3D CT scan to show that the proposed approach can achieve both fast convergence rate and stability.
LMO2 and Bcl-6 Expression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Predict Overall Survival in R-CHOP Treated Patients

LMO2, a germinal center marker and transcription factor with an important role in angiogenesis and erythropoiesis, was found to confer improved prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) when expressed in tissue microarray (TMA) samples (Natkunam et al J Clin Oncol2008,26:447). Bcl-6, a transcriptional repressor controlling germinal center formation, has been associated with favorable outcomes in DLBCL patients treated with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) but was found to have no prognostic significance in DLBCL patients older than 60 treated with rituximab (R) + CHOP (Winter et al Blood2006,107:4207). Hans previously described an algorithm to subclassify DLBCL into germinal center B-cell like (GCB) and activated B-cell like (ABC) using immunohistochemical staining for CD10, bcl-6 and MUM1 with GCB exhibiting improved survival (Hans et al Blood2004,103:275). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of LMO2, CD10, bcl-6, bcl-2 and MUM1 expression in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP. We also applied the Hans classification to our cohort and incorporated LMO2 into the algorithm. Adults (>18 years) with DLBCL who were diagnosed and treated at the University of Virginia between 2000 and 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were selected based on adequate tissue, treatment with at least 3 cycles of R-CHOP and if a minimum of 6 months of follow-up data was available at the time of data analysis. Forty-one cases were included of which 26 were de novo DLBCL, 12 were DLBCL with concurrent follicular lymphoma (FL) and 3 cases were new diagnoses of DLBCL with a previous history of FL. HE the sample received an m-GCB designation if LMO2 positive but the normal Hans classification was applied if the sample was LMO2 negative. For 41 complete patient samples, a nonparametric Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to estimate overall survival (OS) probability for each group (m-GCB, m-ABC). A log-rank test demonstrated that there was a significant difference in OS probability between m-ABC and m-GCB groups (p = 0.047). Six month and 3 year survival for m-ABC and m-GCB were 71% and 88%, and 44% and 68% respectively. A semi-parametric Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess association between OS and each individual stain (CD10, bcl-2, bcl-6, MUM1 and LMO2), and a hazards ratio was used to quantify the effect of each stain. Bcl-6 and LMO2 expression were highly correlated, with bcl-6 expression significantly associated with OS (p=0.011). Patients without bcl-6 expression had more than four-fold risk than those expressing bcl-6 in OS (Hazard Ratio = 4.29, 95% CI: 1.4–13.1). Also, LMO2 expression showed a marginal association with OS (p=0.065). In conclusion, LMO2 incorporated into the Hans classification and bcl-6 expression are both significant predictors of OS in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP.
A novel video steganography algorithm in DCT domain based on hamming and BCH codes

In the past decade, the science of information hiding has gained tremendous significance due to advances in information and communication technology. The performance of any steganographic algorithm relies on the embedding efficiency, embedding payload, and robustness against attackers. Low hidden ratio, less security, and low quality of stego videos are the major issues of many existing steganographic methods. In this paper, we propose a novel video steganography method in DCT domain based on Hamming and BCH codes. To improve the security of the proposed algorithm, a secret message is first encrypted and encoded by using BCH codes. Then, it is embedded into the discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of video frames. The hidden message is embedded into DCT coefficients of each Y, U, and V planes excluding DC coefficients. The proposed algorithm is tested under two types of videos that contain slow and fast moving objects. The experiential results of the proposed algorithm are compared with three existing methods. The comparison results show that our proposed algorithm outperformed other algorithms. The hidden ratio of the proposed algorithm is approximately 27.53%, which is considered as a high hiding capacity with a minimal tradeoff of the visual quality. The robustness of the proposed algorithm was tested under different attacks.
Trends and outcomes of infective endocarditis in patients on dialysis

Dialysis patients are at high risk for infective endocarditis (IE); however, no large contemporary data exist on this issue. We examined outcomes of 44 816 patients with IE on dialysis and 202 547 patients with IE not on dialysis from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2006 thorough 2011. Dialysis patients were younger (59 ± 15 years vs 62 ± 18 years) and more likely to be female (47% vs 40%) and African-American (47% vs 40%; all P < 0.001). Hospitalizations for IE in the dialysis group increased from 175 to 222 per 10 000 patients (P trend = 0.04). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common microorganism isolated in both dialysis (61%) and nondialysis (45%) groups. IE due to S aureus (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.73-1.84), non-aureus staphylococcus (aOR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.64-1.80), and fungi (aOR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.12-1.78) were more likely in the dialysis group, whereas infection due to gram-negative bacteria (aOR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.81-0.89), streptococci (aOR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.36-0.39), and enterococci (aOR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.74-0.82) were less likely (all P < 0.001). Dialysis patients had higher in-hospital mortality (aOR: 2.13, 95% CI: 2.04-2.21), lower likelihood of valve-replacement surgery (aOR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.76-0.86), and higher incidence of stroke (aOR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.12; all P < 0.001). We demonstrate rising incidence of IE-related hospitalizations in dialysis patients, highlight significant differences in baseline comorbidities and microbiology of IE compared with the general population, and validate the association of long-term dialysis with worse in-hospital outcomes.
Social Bias in Elicited Natural Language Inferences

We analyze the Stanford Natural Language Inference (SNLI) corpus in an investigation of bias and stereotyping in NLP data. The SNLI human-elicitation protocol makes it prone to amplifying bias and stereotypical associations, which we demonstrate statistically (using pointwise mutual information) and with qualitative examples.
Seasonal feeding selectivity of brown trout Salmo trutta in five groundwater-dominated streams

Availability and selection of macroinvertebrate prey is important to explain temporal and spatial variation in growth among stream salmonids. However, few studies contain information to identify su...
Cárcel de Amor and Celestina: Notes on Two Early Modern Bestsellers

This essay studies the verbal borrowings and textual reminiscences of Diego de San Pedro’s Carcel de Amor in Celestina. The characters in Celestina who echo San Pedro’s words, as well as the senten...
Gamma ray spectroscopy with Arduino UNO

We review a simple gamma ray spectrometer constructed on a solderless breadboard. The spectrometer's detector consists of a CsI(Tl) scintillator and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and its readout is facilitated by an Arduino UNO. The system is low cost and utilizes a minimum of components while still achieving satisfactory charge linearity and noise levels. This instrument can be used in instructional laboratories to introduce both radiation detection and analog signal processing concepts. We also expect it will be of interest to those seeking to introduce gamma spectroscopy to the expanding ecosystem of Arduino hardware.
C. West Churchman

C. WestChurchman made pioneering and important contributions to operations research (OR), management science (MS), and systems theory. Over the course of six decades, he investigated and contributed to a wide range of topics—statistics, accounting, city planning, space exploration, education, mental health, and peace and conflict studies. Influenced by his practical work on statistical quality control during World War II (WWII), West came to OR after a successful career in philosophy. As a pioneer, he helped define OR and its relation to systems thinking in the early 1950s. With his friend and colleague, Russell Ackoff, he established the path-breaking Operations Research Group at Case Institute of Technology. Along with E. Leonard Arnoff, they coauthored the first integrated text in OR, Introduction to Operations Research, published in 1957.
The Mythology of PCR: A Warning to the Wise

Most diagnostic PCR tests are a qualitative yes or no, presence or absence of pathogen X. We know what it means if our sample is positive by PCR, reporting back presumptive positive for organism X and a negative PCR result was the end-point for that sample. Were these assumptions correct? The decisions we make based on these PCR results require that we know how to interpret these results and like any other diagnostic test, know its limitations with regards to sensitivity and specificity. Even if your laboratory is only interested in adapting existing PCR methods for identification of pathogens in foods, it is important that you know what the results mean, and know how to recognize and troubleshoot problems as they occur. You can safe guard or at least be prepared to recognize these problems, as they appear, by implementing standard operating procedures and including controls recommended by authors in the chapters discussed in this book. In this section, I will specifically delve into interpretation and understanding of PCR results as well as discuss the limitations, problems, and erroneous assumptions associated with PCR and other PCR based technologies (e.g., real-time PCR).
Are Engineers Losing Control of Technology?: From ‘Problem Solving’ to ‘Problem Definition and Solution’ in Engineering Education

Educators in chemical engineering around the world are now working hard to reimagine the field in response to rapid technological change. Real concern exists about the possible loss of cohesion and identity. The main responses focus on restructuring its engineering science core. This concern and attendant strategies are also found in other engineering fields. Might rapid technological change be posing a fundamental challenge to the jurisdiction of engineering work? This analysis reviews the engineering emphasis in different countries on technical problem solving and outlines four contemporary challenges to the corollary claim of control over technological innovation. Responding to these challenges may require abandoning the goal of broadening engineering education, for they indicate not that technical education in engineering is too narrow but may be incomplete. An alternative strategy for adjusting the jurisdiction of engineering work is to formally include the activity of problem definition. The analysis concludes by analysing four characteristics of a model of engineering as Problem Definition and Solution and outlining three types of strategies for integrating problem definition into engineering education.
Virtual Substitution & Real Equations

This chapter investigates decision procedures for real arithmetic, which serve as an important technology for proving the arithmetic questions that arise during cyber-physical systems analysis. The fact that first-order properties of real arithmetic are even decidable is one of the big miracles of logic on which CPS analysis depends. While a blackbox use of quantifier elimination often suffices, this chapter looks under the hood to understand why and how real arithmetic can be decided. This leads to a better appreciation of the working principles and complexity challenges in real arithmetic. The focus in this chapter will be on the case of linear and quadratic equations, which conceptually elegant virtual substitution techniques handle.
Hypertensive ED patients: Missed opportunities for addressing hypertension and facilitating outpatient follow-up.

Abstract Objectives Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The emergency department (ED) frequently serves populations with unmet health needs and could have a greater and more systematic role in secondary prevention for hypertension. This study sought to determine, among hypertensive patients discharged from the ED, the frequency that patients 1) received hypertension-specific education, and 2) followed-up with a primary care provider. We secondarily assessed participant beliefs about hypertension. Methods This non-experimental, observational study enrolled a convenience sample of consenting patients with asymptomatic, markedly elevated blood pressure (systolic ≥160 mmHg or diastolic ≥100 mmHg) with medium to low triage acuity discharged from an urban, academic ED. Discharge instructions were assessed through chart review. Patients followed up per their normal routine without intervention. Participants were interviewed by phone two to four weeks after ED discharge to ascertain outpatient follow-up and describe beliefs about hypertension. Results From April through June 2014, 200 patients were approached, of whom 90 were enrolled. Of these, 77% of patients reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension, and 60% reported current treatment with antihypertensive medications. Five patients (5.5%) received written instructions at discharge addressing hypertension, although 59 (65.6%) reported that they were informed about their elevated blood pressure during the ED visit. Follow-up with a primary care provider within 2–4 weeks of discharge was completed in 57% of cases. None of the patients who received hypertension-specific discharge instructions completed follow-up. Conclusions Over half of markedly hypertensive patients discharged from the ED followed up with primary care within four weeks. Nonetheless, missed opportunities for improved secondary prevention among ED patients with hypertension are common. There is an urgent need for evidence-based interventions to assist emergency departments in addressing this health threat.
Internet Sovereignty: A New Paradigm of Internet Governance

This essay dissects the implications of China’s “Internet Sovereignty” policy in the wake of WCIT-12. This policy was offered as an alternative vision to the U.S.’s “Internet freedom” agenda in a new Internet world no longer dominated by liberal democracies.
THE MATURE LARVA OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN CLEPTOPARASITIC BEE THALESTRIA SPINOSA (FABRICIUS) (APIDAE: NOMADINAE: EPEOLINI)

This paper describes and illustrates with diagrams and photographs the diapausing larva of the epeoline Thalestria spinosa (Fabricius), a large cleptoparasitic bee, recovered in 1971 from the nest of its host, the South American andrenid bee Oxaea flavescens (Klug). The larva closely resembles that of many Triepeolus (Epeolini), the immature stages of which are better known (Rozen, 1966, 1996). The larva of T. spinosa can be distinguished from those of other known Epeolini by the shape of its short, triangular mandible with a pronounced swelling on its inner surface that projects distally from its base. The lack of strong tentorial structuring as well as internal ridges on the cranium has long suggested that epeolines have a weak head exoskeletons. However, after careful study of T. spinosa and review of other larval Epeolini, the author now suggests that the extensive integumental thickening of the cranium and the broad connections of the frontal area of the head with the rear part, though less noticeable, obviates the need of a strong tentorium and internal head ridges.
Kα line emission during solar X-ray bursts

Kα X-ray line emission from S, Ar, Ca and Fe is calculated for conditions likely to exist in solar flares. We consider both the non-thermal and thermal phases of flares as indicated by X-ray observations. Impulsive non-thermal events seen at the onset of a flare at photon energies > 20 keV generally give rise to small Kα line fluxes (<250 photons cm-2 s-1) on the basis of data presented by Kane and Anderson. The amount of S Kα radiation in particular depends sensitively on the lower-energy bound of the non-thermal electron distribution giving rise to the impulsive burst, offering a possible means of determining this. Thermal Kα emission is significant for only Fe ions. For S, Ar and Ca, the temperatures required for a sizeable number of electrons with energies greater than the K-ionization potential will also strip these elements to ionization stages too high for Kα transitions to be possible. Comparison of thermal Kα emission from iron during an intense solar flare leads to a very high emission measure on the basis of these calculations, but such a value seems to be compatible with an analysis of the 1–3 A continuum during the same event.
Development of Accelerated Test Sequences to Assess Long Term Durability of PV Modules

With the introduction of new materials, processes and structures for PV modules, the assessment of module durability to the multiple stresses in the outdoor environment has become a critical part of new product evaluation. We have developed test methodologies which evaluate the durability of PV modules to temperature, humidity, UV from the front and back of the module, and mechanical stresses related to temperature cycles and snow/wind loads. Test sequences have been developed to reduce the overall test timing and evaluate new module structures including bifacial modules. These tests are predictive of backsheet outer layer failure, backsheet inner layer and encapsulant delamination. Total test time is reduced from 8.2 months to <5 months.
A User’s Guide to the Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance

At its 2018 Annual Meeting, The American Law Institute completed nearly a decade’s worth of work on the Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance. The Restatement’s approval was deferred for a year from the 2017 Annual Meeting, largely because of opposition from insurance industry interests. The Restatement attracted unusual attention from interests outside the normal ALI process, in a way that can be fairly characterized as political, in the non-pejorative sense that it involves the authoritative allocation of values. Lawyers and judges routinely look to the ALI’s Restatements of the Law as reference works for the state of the law and for arguments and analysis about the direction the law should go. Yet the controversy reflected in the complex intellectual and political history of the RLLI is likely to continue following its final adoption, and the issues raised by the controversy about the RLLI frames its use by lawyers and judges in interesting ways. This article takes account of the issues raised in the drafting process to inform the use of the Restatement going forward. The criticisms of particular sections of the RLLI will be discussed as those sections are raised, argued, and applied in litigation. But the criticism suggests that two general points need to be taken into account in using the RLLI: • What is a Restatement? • Whose Restatement is this?
Responding to Bias, Bullying, and Harassment

Medicine and medical training are not immune to episodes of bias, mistreatment, or discrimination. While these untoward experiences can affect anyone, women and underrepresented minority (URM) physicians carry the greater burden of dealing with such issues. Despite increases over time in the number of women and URM medical students and physicians, many still face challenges in identifying mentorship and rising to the highest ranks. In this chapter, we discuss definitions of bullying and harassment, review efforts to improve diversity in medicine, and outline responses to bias with an emphasis on both civility and courage. We also offer case examples and some of our own experiences to spur discussion.
Applying the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle in medical education to refine an antibiotics therapy active learning session.

BACKGROUND Active learning improves learner engagement and knowledge retention. The application of continuous quality improvement methodologies, such as the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, may be useful for optimizing medical education, including active learning sessions. We aimed to enhance student satisfaction and achievement of learning outcomes by applying the PDSA framework to an antibiotic utilization curriculum for medical students. METHODS Guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, between February 2017 and July 2019, we developed, implemented, and revised an active learning session for medical students, focused on appropriate utilization of antibiotics during their Internal Medicine clerkship. RESULTS Across twelve sessions, 367 students (83.4%) completed the post-evaluation survey. Although baseline ratings were high (97% of respondents enjoyed the "active learning" format), constructive comments informed iterative improvements to the session, such as modifying session timing, handouts and organization of the gaming component. Intervention 3, the last improvement cycle, resulted in more favorable ratings for the active learning format (p = 0.015) improvement in understanding antibiotics and their clinical application (p = 0.001) compared to Baseline ratings. CONCLUSIONS This intervention suggests that active learning, with regular incorporation of student feedback vis-a-vis a PDSA cycle, was effective in achieving high student engagement in an Internal Medicine core clerkship session on antibiotic therapy. Iterative interventions based on student feedback, such as providing an antibiotic reference table and answer choices for each case, further improved student receptivity and perceived educational value. The study findings have potential implications for medical education and suggest that the application of the PDSA cycle can optimize active learning pedagogies and outcomes.
Management of Common Complications After Radical Cystectomy, Lymph Node Dissection, and Urinary Diversion

Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion is the gold standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, the morbidity remains high related to the extensive surgery as well as the comorbid population. Postoperative complications can occur in almost every organ system, and can have significant effects on the quality of life for both the patient and their caregiver. We present here a review of the common complications seen after cystectomy and urinary diversion as well as discussion regarding their management and prevention.
The Promise of Portfolios: Training Modern Data Scientists

Data scientists rely on many technical skills and the ability to reason about data to solve problems. As educators grapple with how to prepare students in this new field, they are faced with identifying both what a student must know and what a student should be able to do by the end of their data science education, and also how to collect evidence of those abilities. We present a way to unite and coordinate individual efforts toward training well-rounded data scientists: a data science portfolio that highlights strong communication. This structuring of classroom assignments provides a way to evaluate students' mastery of material in each class and also allows for a student to build a professional portfolio that remains valuable after the class is over.Data science portfolio pieces broadly include written and visual assignments that give students practice crafting data-driven arguments and narratives for a variety of audiences. This flexible nature of the portfolio gives students a way to demonstrate their abilities in an inclusive, ‘choose your own adventure’ way.As students refine and share their portfolios with others throughout a course or program, they can see their own growth and receive feedback from instructors, peers, and the broader data science community.We provide examples of and guidance for how to implement a data science portfolio approach in single courses and wider data science programs.
Yesterday and tomorrow: a view on progress in computer design

Some 50 years ago saw a series of rapid advances in design automation technology setting the stage for generations of reliable computers. Over the intervening years progress in the field continued to deal with the advancing complexity of the technology. This success in design automation was based on capturing or encapsulating complex designs into components to be managed in a larger design. On the other hand, in the past, power was never seen as a limitation yet this now looms as a major problem. Looking at the future, designer productivity and design complexity remain a central limitation on product development especially for specialized system applications (SoC type). Power presents a new challenge especially to the same emerging system applications. We look at these issues both in the context of the past and possibilities for the future.
Automated Registration of Volumes of Interest for a Combined X-Ray Tomosynthesis and Ultrasound Breast Imaging System

An intuitive display method was developed to enable a user to select and visualize corresponding volumes of interest in combined digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and automated breast ultrasound images. Details of this method are described including experiments performed to assess the accuracy of the calibration for coordinate transformation. The distance between an object in the ultrasound images and the center of a volume of interest transferred to the ultrasound images from DBT is 4 mm after first stage calibration and 0.8 mm after second stage calibration which corrects for experimentally determined offsets. The display is being used in reader studies, and preliminary results of those studies will be discussed.
Micron-Scale MIC of Alloy 22 After Long Term Incubation in Saturated Nuclear Waste Repository Microcosms

The effects of potential microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) on candidate packaging materials for nuclear waste containment are being assessed. Coupons of Alloy 22, the outer barrier candidate for waste packaging, were exposed to a simulated, saturated repository environment consisting of crushed rock from the repository site and a continual flow of simulated groundwater for periods up to five years. Coupons were incubated with YM tuff under both sterile and non-sterile conditions. Surfacial analysis of the biotically-incubated coupons show development of both submicron-sized pinholes and pores; these features were not present on either sterile or untreated control coupons. Quantification of these effects will help define the overall contribution of MIC to the integrity of the containment system over a period of 10,000 years.
Purification and characterization of an erythrocyte membrane protein complex carrying Duffy blood group antigenicity. Possible receptor for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi malaria parasite.

A murine monoclonal antibody, named anti-Fy6, which agglutinates all human red cells except those of Fy(a-b) phenotype was used for purification and characterization of Duffy antigens. Duffy antigens are multimeric red cell membrane proteins composed of different subunits of which only one, designated pD protein, reacts in immunoblots with the murine monoclonal antibody anti-Fy6. Affinity-purified detergent-soluble antigen-antibody complex obtained from red cells, surface-labeled with 125I yielded a complex pattern of bands when separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Proteins that react with anti-Fy6 in immunoblots are: pA and pB (> 100 kDa) and pD (36–46 kDa). Electroeluted pD protein aggregates and generates bands of similar molecular mass to pA and pB proteins. Electroeluted pA and pB proteins disaggregate yielding pD protein. Oligomers and monomers of pD protein are present in red cells carrying Duffy antigens and absent in Fy(a-b-) cells. Six other proteins of molecular weight ranging from 68 to 21 kDa either associate or co-purify with pD protein. These proteins are only present in Duffy antigen positive cells. The pD protein is different in Fy(a+b-) and Fy(a-b+) cells by fingerprint analysis. Human antisera identify the same proteins in red cell carrying Duffy antigens as the murine monoclonal antibody anti-Fy6.
Flow Cytometry Criteria for Systemic Mastocytosis: Bone Marrow Mast Cell Counts Do Not Always Count

We would like to respond to the points raised by Sanchez-Munoz et al regarding our article. First, there are no inconsistencies between the number of patients with systemic mastocytosis (SM) and the number of analyzed specimens. The study included 23 patients with SM. However, 5 patients with SM had sequential flow cytometric studies. Because each sample was analyzed as a separate event, that resulted in a total of 39 SM specimens. Cases of monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome (MMCAS) were analyzed separately. Treatment information was beyond the scope of the study. Second, we would like to point out that the presence of mast cell clusters by flow cytometry was 100% specific; no false-positive results were observed. All cases with mast cell clusters fulfilled …
EMERGENCE AND PERSISTENCE OF BETA-LACTAMASE-PRODUCING BACTERIA IN THE OROPHARYNX FOLLOWING PENICILLIN TREATMENT

The emergence and persistence of aerobic and anaerobic beta-lactamase-producing bacteria (BLPB) were investigated in 26 children treated with penicillins for otitis media or pharyngitis and in 28 nontreated control children. Beta-lactamase-producers were isolated in 3 (12%) of the treated children before therapy, in 12 (46%) 7-10 days after completion of therapy (P<0.01), in 9 (35%) 40-45 days after therapy, and in 7 (27%) 85-90 days after therapy. These organisms were present in 3 (11%) of the nontreated children, and the number of patients harboring BLPB stayed constant throughout the 3-month follow-up. The predominant BLPB were Bacteroides sp. (Bactetroides melartinogenicus group, Bacteroides oralis, and Bacteroides, ruminicola), Staphyloccus aureus Haemophilus influenzae, and Branhamella catarrhalis. The emergence and persistence of BLPB after penicillin therapy may have important implications for the antimcirobial management of infections of the upper respiratory tract.
A large deviation result for a class of Dirichlet processes

Let λ>0 be a constant and let λ−1 <q(x) < λ be a bounded measurable function. We consider the large deviation problem for the diffusion process with generator We are going to prove that its density function satisfies $$\mathop {\lim }\limits_{t \to 0} t\log H(y,t,x) = - \frac{{\left| {x - y} \right|^2 }}{2}$$
Development of afferent lamination in the fascia dentata of the rat

Abstract In the present study we examine the development of afferent lamination in the fascia dentata of the postnatal rat, as a first step in determining possible mechanisms controlling synaptic specificity in this system. This analysis is based on degeneration-induced argyrophilia as well as autoradiographic labeling of the entorhinal and commissural/associational afferents. Both methods show that in spite of the immaturity of the neonatal fascia dentata, these afferent systems have already established territorial relationships by 4 days of age which persist into adulthood. At 4 days, the entorhinal projection is restricted approximately to the outer 45 μm of the 80 μm wide molecular layer. The commissural/associational projection occupies approximately the inner 35 μm of the molecular layer. At older ages the commissural/associational zone increases in width very slowly relative to the entorhinal zone. We also discuss these results in relation to potential mechanisms of afferent development and dendritic differentiation.