cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preface: newborn hearing screening in the United States: historical perspective and future directions.

Every year, 4000 to 8000 children are born in the United States with permanent hearing losses that pose a risk to their speech and language development.1–3 If children with milder losses and losses that affect only 1 ear are included, that number is almost doubled. Until just a decade ago, late diagnosis was the norm, with the average age at identification of congenital hearing loss reported as 2½ to 3 years or even later.1,4 A valuable window of opportunity for early intervention was being lost. Intervention in the first 6 months of life may be particularly important for speech and language development,5,6 and parents and professionals overwhelmingly prefer early diagnosis.7,8 Technologic advances in automated newborn hearing-screening technology, followed by a series of successful demonstration projects,9 resulted in the introduction of universal newborn hearing screening across the United States in the mid-to-late 1990s. More than 95% of newborns are now screened for hearing loss shortly after birth, which represents one of the most successful and rapid examples of research moving into practice in pediatric public health. Newborn hearing screening is 1 of only 7 preventive services for children recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force.10 The success of the screening program depends on far more than the initial screen. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing has set 3 goals: screening should be completed by 1 month of age, diagnosis should be made by 3 months, and intervention and treatment should commence by 6 months.11 Although the first goal is close to being met, the other goals are not. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that up to 60% of newborns who do not pass the hearing screen do not have … Address correspondence to Shirley A. Russ, MD, MPH, Division of Academic Primary Care Pediatrics, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Room 1165W, Los Angeles, CA 90048. E-mail: shirlyruss{at}aol.com
Integrating Primary Oral Health Care into Primary Care.

Despite increasing national attention and emphasis on primary health care, there has been little impetus to define or specify the content of primary oral health care. This paper defines primary oral health care and the scope of services it includes, using an adaptation of a Health Resources and Services Administration definition of primary health care and its attributes as its model. The proposed scope of services encompassed by primary oral health care is a set of basic dental services used by the Indian Health Service. Policy recommendations are presented to improve the integration of primary oral health services with primary health care and primary health care delivery.
Cyclic system reconfiguration for adaptive separation of lung and heart sounds

This paper introduces an improved methodology of signal separation for removing noise and separating heart and lung sounds. Unlike traditional noise cancellation and signal separation methods that rely on frequency band separation or statistical independence to achieve signal separation, this methodology utilizes the unique feature of time-split stages in breath and cardiac cycles to simplify the blind source separation problem and enhance algorithm performance. By employing a multi-sensor system, the method performs time-split channel identification, adaptive signal separation, and noise cancellation, with recursion from cycle to cycle. Since no frequency separation or statistical independence is required, this method can provide a robust and reliable capability of signal extraction for enhancing accuracy and reliability of medical diagnosis.
Thyroid function in children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency during the initial phase of GH replacement therapy - clinical implications

Normal thyroid hormone secretion or appropriate L-thyroxine (L-T4) substitution is necessary for the optimal effect of the growth hormone (GH) administration on growth rate. The decrease of free thyroxine (FT4) levels at recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy onset has been reported in several studies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of rhGH administration on thyrotropin (TSH) and FT4 serum concentrations in children with GH deficiency (GHD) during the 1st year of therapy, as well as to assess potential indications to thyroid hormone supplementation in them. The analysis involved data of 75 children (59 boys, 16 girls) with disorders of GH secretion (GHD, neurosecretory dysfunction - NSD) and partial GH inactivity (inactGH), who were treated with rhGH for - at least - one year. In all the children, body height and height velocity (HV) were assessed before and after 1 year of therapy, while TSH, FT4, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 before treatment and after 3-6 months and 1 year of treatment. In the patients, who revealed hypothyroidism (HypoT), an appropriate L-T4 substitution was introduced immediately. The incidence of HypoT, occurring during the initial phase of rhGH therapy, was assessed, as well as its influence on the therapy effectiveness. Before rhGH substitution, there were no significant differences in either auxological indices or TSH and FT4 secretion, or IGF-I concentration and its bioavailability among the groups of patients. During the initial 3-6 months of rhGH administration, a significant decrease of FT4 serum concentration, together with a significant increase of IGF-I SDS and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio was observed in all the studied groups. In 17 children, HypoT was diagnosed and L-T4 substitution was administered. Despite similar IGF-I secretion increase, the improvement of HV presented significantly lower in children with HypoT than in those who remained euthyroid all the time. The incidence of HypoT during the initial phase of GH treatment in children with GHD and the negative effect of even transient thyroid hormone deficiency on the growth rate should be taken into account.
Feasibility of capacitor voltage regulation and output voltage harmonic minimization in cascaded H-bridge converters

Multilevel converters have found popularity in electric-drive vehicles. In cascaded H-bridge multilevel converters, it is advantageous to use only one DC voltage source for the main H-bridge cell and supply the rest of the cells with capacitors. However, regulating the capacitors' voltage level becomes a challenging issue. This paper studies the existing constraints on regulating the capacitor voltage levels especially with respect to the elimination of the fifth and seventh harmonics. Detailed as well as simplified analyses are presented and verified. In addition, the constrained nonlinear optimization method is used to find the switching angles that regulate the capacitor voltage, eliminate the fifth harmonic, and minimize the combination of seventh and eleventh harmonics.
The Knowledge-Gradient Algorithm for Sequencing Experiments in Drug Discovery

We present a new technique for adaptively choosing the sequence of molecular compounds to test in drug discovery. Beginning with a base compound, we consider the problem of searching for a chemical derivative of the molecule that best treats a given disease. The problem of choosing molecules to test to maximize the expected quality of the best compound discovered may be formulated mathematically as a ranking-and-selection problem in which each molecule is an alternative. We apply a recently developed algorithm, known as the knowledge-gradient algorithm, that uses correlations in our Bayesian prior distribution between the performance of different alternatives (molecules) to dramatically reduce the number of molecular tests required, but it has heavy computational requirements that limit the number of possible alternatives to a few thousand. We develop computational improvements that allow the knowledge-gradient method to consider much larger sets of alternatives, and we demonstrate the method on a problem with 87,120 alternatives.
Gluconeogenesis in Renal Cortical Tubules: Effect of Phenformin

Studies of gluconeogenesis were carried out with isolated tubules prepared from the renal cortex of fasted rats. A study of the metabolic characteristics of this preparation upon incubation at 37° revealed a sustained respiratory rate, a constancy of ATP levels, and a linear rate of gluconeogenesis. Virtually no glucose synthesis was observed unless appropriate substrates were added; succinate and α-ketoglutarate were the most effective precursors. The addition of phenformin to the suspension of isolated tubules led to a decline of O2 uptake and ATP content in the absence and in the presence of added substrate. In the presence of succinate, there was a close correlation between the ATP content and the rate of gluconeogenesis. The data indicate that the phenformin-induced inhibition of gluconeogenesis is secondary to limitation of ATP generation rather than a direct effect on the enzymatic sequence leading to new glucose formation or to limited availability of reducing equivalents.
Physiological evidence for a trans-basal ganglia pathway linking extrastriate visual cortex and the superior colliculus

Visually responsive regions along the cat's lateral suprasylvian (LS) sulcus provide excitatory inputs to the deep layers of the superior colliculus (SC). It is via this direct cortico-collicular route that LS cortex is thought to enhance the visual activity of SC output neurons and thereby facilitate SC-mediated orientation behaviours. However, it has long been suggested that LS also might influence the SC via an 'indirect' route through the basal ganglia. Such a multi-synaptic route would ultimately modulate SC activity via basal ganglia output neurons in substantia nigra, pars reticulata. Using cortical electrical stimulation, the present experiments in the anaesthetized cat provide a physiological confirmation of this indirect route. Moreover, the patterns of activity evoked in antidromically identified nigro-collicular neurons indicate the involvement of multiple trans-basal ganglia pathways. The most complex evoked patterns consisted of a variable period of inhibition preceded and followed by periods of excitation. Although many neurons displayed only components of this triphasic response, these electrically evoked responses generally matched the characteristics of their responses to natural visual stimuli. Cortical stimulation evoked excitation in all of crossed nigro-collicular neurons and inhibition in the majority of uncrossed nigro-collicular neurons. These data suggest that LS activity accesses multiple trans-basal ganglia circuits that shape nigro-collicular responses that are appropriate for their SC targets. In this way, visual stimuli in one hemifield can be selected as targets for SC-mediated orientation, while simultaneously inhibiting activity in the opposite SC that might generate responses to competing targets.
The Eyes Are Right When the Mouth Is Wrong

When describing visual scenes, speakers typically gaze at objects while preparing their names. In a study of the relation between eye movements and speech, a corpus of self-corrected speech errors was analyzed. If errors result from rushed word preparation, insufficient visual information, or failure to check prepared names against objects, speakers should spend less time gazing at referents before uttering errors than before uttering correct names. Counter to predictions, gazes to referents before errors (e.g., gazes to an axe before saying “ham-” [hammer]) highly resembled gazes to referents before correct names (e.g., gazes to an axe before saying “axe”). However, speakers gazed at referents for more time after initiating erroneous compared with correct names, apparently while they prepared corrections. Assuming that gaze nonetheless reflects word preparation, errors were not associated with insufficient preparation. Nor were errors systematically associated with decreased inspection of objects. Like g...
Numerical Simulation of Combustion and Extinction of a Solid Cylinder in Low-Speed Cross Flow

The combustion and extinction behavior of a diffusion flame around a solid fuel cylinder (PMMA) in low-speed forced flow in zero gravity was studied numerically using a quasi-steady gas phase model. This model includes two-dimensional continuity, full Navier Stokes' momentum, energy, and species equations with a one-step overall chemical reaction and second-order finite-rate Arrhenius kinetics. Surface radiation and Arrhenius pyrolysis kinetics are included on the solid fuel surface description and a parameter Phi, representing the percentage of gas-phase conductive heat flux going into the solid, is introduced into the interfacial energy balance boundary condition to complete the description for the quasi-steady gas-phase system. The model was solved numerically using a body-fitted coordinate transformation and the SIMPLE algorithm. The effects of varying freestream velocity and Phi were studied. These parameters have a significant effect on the flame structure and extinction limits. Two flame modes were identified: envelope flame and wake flame. Two kinds of flammability limits were found: quenching at low-flow speeds due to radiative loss and blow-off at high flow speeds due to insufficient gas residence time. A flammability map was constructed showing the existence of maximum Phi above which the solid is not flammable at any freestream velocity.
Analysis of resonant tunneling structures for high frequency oscillator applications via time-dependent solution of Schrodinger's equation

The characteristics of a new compound-semiconductor heterostructure tunneling resonator are analyzed using the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The device is formed by imbedding the usual double-barrier tunneling structure between two additional heterojunctions forming the reflectors of the resonator. Tunable quantum mechanical oscillations in the frequency range from 300 to 600 GHz are observed for typical device parameters. Two potential millimeter-wave device applications are proposed. >
Glucagon-like Peptide 2: A Nutrient-Responsive Gut Growth Factor

Glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) is a 33-amino acid peptide derived from the tissue-specific, post-translational processing of the proglucagon gene expressed in the intestinal enteroendocrine L-cell. The primary stimulus for GLP-2 secretion is nutrient intake, and involves direct luminal stimulation of the L-cell as well as indirect enteroendocrine and neural mechanisms. The biological activity of GLP-2 in circulation is regulated by the proteolytic cleavage of the N-terminus by dipeptidylpeptidase IV. Several studies have shown that GLP-2 has specific trophic effects on the small and large intestine, which are mediated by stimulation of cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis and proteolysis. GLP-2 also has been shown to suppress gastric motility and acid secretion, increase hexose transport activity and suppress food intake, specifically when infused centrally. The actions of GLP-2 are mediated by a G-protein-linked, membrane receptor (GLP-2R) that is localized largely to the gastrointestinal tract, but also is found in the brain. The secretion of GLP-2 and expression of the GLP-2R are present in the late gestation fetus. However, the developing intestine does not become responsive to the trophic effect of GLP-2 until after birth. Based on its efficacy in preventing atrophy and stimulating growth in the neonatal gut, GLP-2 may be a promising therapeutic adjuvant for treatment of infants with compromised gut function.
A phase I trial of intraperitoneal sustained-release paclitaxel microspheres (Paclimer) in recurrent ovarian cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Abstract Objectives. Paclimer® is a biodegradable polymer microsphere formulation containing 10% (w/w) paclitaxel that is designed to provide a sustained-release form of paclitaxel after intraperitoneal (IP) administration. The goals of this phase I study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of IP paclitaxel microspheres and the pharmacology of paclitaxel after IP paclitaxel microsphere administration. Methods. Twelve patients with recurrent or persistent ovarian or primary peritoneal carcinoma were treated. After placement of an IP catheter, patients were treated with escalating doses of IP paclitaxel microspheres administered with 2 l of normal saline following premedication. Treatment could be repeated once, 8 weeks after initial treatment. The starting dose was 60 mg/m 2 and no intrapatient dose escalation was used. Results. One dose-limiting toxicity consisting of abdominal pain, ileus and bowel obstruction was seen with the second cycle of therapy in one patient who received 900 mg/m 2 . Patients received up to 1200 mg/m 2 without further evidence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLT). The study was discontinued before MTD was defined due to the manufacturer's decision to suspend further clinical development of paclitaxel microspheres. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed a trend toward a dose-dependent effect of IP paclitaxel microspheres on measured plasma paclitaxel levels. Sustained paclitaxel levels were maintained throughout all 8 weeks of therapy; however, paclitaxel concentrations were well below the plasma concentrations associated with toxicity. In one patient, laparoscopy revealed extensive adhesions, fat necrosis, foreign body giant cell reaction and detectable residual polymer filaments 7 months after completion of treatment with paclitaxel microspheres. Conclusions. IP administration of paclitaxel microspheres is well tolerated up to 1200 mg/m 2 without defining MTD. The low but persistent detection of plasma paclitaxel indicates that paclitaxel continues to be released for at least 8 weeks after IP paclitaxel microsphere treatment. The finding of significant peritoneal abnormalities, including the presence of residual polymer filaments, months after IP Paclimer treatment suggests that the polymer preparation used in Paclimer® degrades slowly.
Effects of Temperature and Concentration on the Rheological Properties of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Polymer Solutions and Melts

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) is a ubiquitous polymer used throughout industry. The rheological properties of ABS are extremely important to know if one is designing a system that will extrude the polymer into various shapes, as it can help in determining what temperature the polymer should be, or how much force must be applied to the polymer to force it through a die. ABS is manufactured and processed in volatile solvents at high temperature and pressure. Thus, its rheological properties, or a measurement of how easily it flows, are highly sought after information. The rheological properties of ABS at 25 degrees Celsius and 1 atmosphere are well known. However, industry often requires for the temperature and pressure to be much higher, at around 100 atmospheres and 50-100 degrees Celsius, and concentrations varying from 40 to 70 weight percent. Solvents often used to synthesize ABS are also quite volatile; that is, they vaporize easily, which is only exacerbated by the high temperatures required, as the high temperatures cause the already volatile solvents to vaporize more easily at higher temperatures. This research seeks to quantify the rheological properties at high temperatures and at various concentrations. In order to determine the properties, a unique high-pressure rheometer will be used. The rheometer exerts a torque on the liquid at various shear rates, and measures the resistive force the liquid exerts on the rheometer to calculate viscosity. The rheometer also allows a pressure to be put over the polymer, which assists in preventing the solvent from vaporizing. The results obtained will be compared to theoretical models that require pressure, temperature, concentration, and molecular weight as input.
Multifocal Cortical Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease

Cortical atrophy is well known in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however, there are different interpretations of its location and extent. Neurodegeneration and atrophy are relatively consistent in medial temporal areas, including hippocampal, entorhinal, and perirhinal cortices, and they follow a uniform pattern. This is not the only region of atrophy, however, since it occurs in prefrontal, parietotemporal, occipital, and cingulate cortices. Furthermore, although gross focal atrophy is not always present, focal neurodegeneration may occur with focal changes in glucose metabolism. The concept of multifocal cortical degeneration leads to the view of multiple structural and functional subsystem disruption in AD.
Density Functional Calculation of the Structure and Electronic Properties of CunOn (n = 1−8) Clusters

Ab initio simulations and calculations were used to study the structures and stabilities of copper oxide clusters, Cu n O n (n = 1―8). The lowest energy structures of neutral and charged copper oxide clusters were determined using primarily the B3LYP/ LANL2DZ model chemistry. For n ≥ 4, the clusters are nonplanar. Selected electronic properties including atomization energies, ionization energies, electron affinities, and Bader charges were calculated and examined as a function of n.
From the 'Long Depression' to the 'Great Recession': Bank Credit, Macroeconomic Risk, and Equity Returns

In the U.S., over 1873-2014, an increase in bank credit is associated with a lower risk of a financial crisis in the near future. Bank credit expansion predicts lower excess returns and volatility for the aggregate stock market, and this predictive relation varies in the cross-section and is stronger for firms with higher "cash flow risk". Unlike recent literature, these results suggest that bank credit responds to rather than causes an increase in future macroeconomic risk. These novel results are attributable to the fact that I extend existing time-series data for bank credit in the U.S. by nearly a quarter-century, and use a measure of bank credit that accurately captures new credit actually available in the economy.
Celluar and humoral immune responses induced by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase of Mycobacterium bovis BCG

To research the immune protection induced by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase(PEPCK) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to mice,sixty BALB/c mice were divided into two groups.Each mouse in experimental group was injected with Emulsions comprising 10μg PEPCK antigen(Ag) in PBS and equal volumes of incomplete Freund's adjuvant(Difco).In control group,each mouse was only injected with equal volumes of incomplete Freund's adjuvant.All mice were immunized for three times with an interval of two weeks.Spleens and blood were taken 2 weeks after the final immunization.The amount of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was assayed by flow cytometry.The response capability of lymphocytes was detected by MTT.At the same time cytokines such as IFN-γ,IL-12 and TNF-αwere detected by ELISA.The spleen of mouse in experiment group was much bigger than that of control group.The number of CD4+ T cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ from experiment group were significantly higher than that of control group(P0.01).And the lymphocytes' responsion capability of mice in experiment group was stronger than that of control group.The amount of IFN-γ,IL-12 and TNF-α in PEPCK immunized mice was also higher than that of adjuvant group(P0.05).The titer of antibody in serum of PEPCK immunized mice got higher along with the immune times.The results showed that PEPCK could induce strong cellular and humoral immune responses,especially cellular responses and may be a good candidate for TB vaccine.
Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes: The Effects of Mismatches in Social Support and Health Outcomes in an Online Weight Loss Community

The United States has the highest rate of obesity in the world. To help address this problem, social support is gaining credence as a powerful tool to facilitate weight loss because it can affect individuals’ behavior. Social support thus has been the focus of a significant amount of research, which has provided support for its effectiveness. In this study, however, we argue that social support may not always lead to good outcomes. Specifically, we differentiate support providers and support seekers, and examine whether the balance of needed and received social support affects individuals’ weight loss outcomes. By analyzing a group of individuals participating in an online weight loss community, we found that the adequacy of social support has a distinguishable impact on individuals’ weight change. In particular, overprovision (receiving more support than is desired) and underprovision (receiving less support than is desired) resulted in differentiable health outcomes. In addition, by categorizing social support into different types, we found evidence suggesting that the match between the types of social support requested and provided also influenced individuals’ performance in the weight loss process. These findings have implications for maximizing the usefulness of social support for participants in the online environment as well as for clinicians who refer individuals to online weight loss communities and those who design them.
Appendiceal carcinoma mimicking primary bladder cancer

Abstract We report the first case of adenocarcinoma of the appendix invading the bladder. Because invasive bladder cancer was diagnosed initially the pelvis was irradiated preoperatively. At operation a primary appendiceal neoplasm invading the bladder was discovered and a right hemicolectomy and en bloc partial cystectomy were done. This treatment is recommended for appendiceal adenocarcinoma that invades the bladder.
Chemistry of oxygen radicals

At the first International Symposium on Oxidases and Related Redox Systems (1964, Amherst), George (1965) discussed fundamental aspects of physico-chemical properties of oxygen under the title “The Fitness of Oxygen”. His lecture was presented upon the 50th anniversary of a remarkable book, The Fitness of the Environment, written by Henderson (1913). Based on thermodynamic data of hydrogen-oxygen and oxygen-oxygen bonds, George calculated one-electron reduction potentials for the four-step reduction of oxygen to water via oxygen free radical species (Tab. 1). George concluded that the physical and thermodynamic properties of oxygen are suitable as a terminal oxidant in the energy metabolism of life.
Trophic Relations of Stream Fishes

Stream fishes consume an enormous range of food resources, enabling diverse communities of species to coexist and playing important roles in food webs and ecosystem dynamics. In this chapter, we outline the use of behavioral observations, gut content and fecal analyses, morphological measurements, and stable isotopes for drawing inferences about the trophic ecology of stream fishes. These methods allow insights at the level of individuals, populations, communities, and entire food webs. Using multiple methods in concert provides a rich perspective on how dietary differences among fish species affect stream ecology.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Can Differentiate Into B-Cells in NOD/SCID/IL-2Rγ-/- Mice.

Abstract Abstract 4573 Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrows are characterized by high proliferative potential and pluripotentiality to differentiate into multiple lineages such as osteo-, chondro-, and adipogenic cells. MSC express CD105, CD73 and CD90, but not CD45, CD34, CD14 or CD11b, CD79alpha or CD19 and HLA-DR surface molecules. In this study, we observed that MSC derived from the bone marrow of four AML patients differentiated into B-cell lymphoblasts with NOD/SCID/IL-2Rg-/- engraftment potential. MSC cell lines were established by culturing adherent cells from newly diagnosed AML (n=4) age 20 to 74 years in alpha-DMEM medium supplement with 20% fetal bovine serum. Surface antigen phenotype analysis and G-banding karyotype analysis were performed in passage 2 to 4. FACS-sorted CD90 positive cells were then intravenously (I.V.) injected into NOD/SCID/IL-2Rg-/- (NOG) mice via tail vein (n=9) or into the bone marrow (n=3). Circulating cells were analyzed for CD19, CD33, CD34, and CD90 expression on day 36, 45, 60, 75 after injection of MSC. Results 1) G-banding showed normal karyotype in all MSC; 2) Injected MSC engrafted and differentiated in NOG mice. Surprisingly, CD19 positive cells were found in all samples starting on day 36 (table) and increased on day 60 and 75 (from d36: 6.9±3.5%, d45:0.7±0.1%, d60:2.6 ± 1.6% and d75: 9.3 ± 1.0%); 3) CD90 positive cells were found on day 45 (range from 0.07-3.96% and decreased to 0.1-0.5% on day 75). Low percentage of CD33 (day 45: 0.19-0.78% and day 60: 0.12-2.53%) and CD34 positive cells (day 45: 0.32-1.9% and day 60: 0.21-2.39%) were observed before day 60 and were undetectable by day 75. Case Specimen Injected Mice Percentage of CD19 Positive Cells Day-36 Day-45 Day-60 Day-75 1 AML IV Mouse-1* 5.83 Mouse-2* 1.45 Mouse-3 13.5 16.5 2 AML IV Mouse-1 0.28 1.84 6.9 Mouse-2 0.37 0.29 7.5 3 AML IV Mouse-1 0.67 1.83 5.2 Mouse-2 0.89 0.52 10.9 4 AML IV Mouse-1 0.93 0.15 13.4 Mouse-2 0.61 0.18 9.9 BM Mouse-1 0.8 1.22 6.2 Mouse-2 0.54 1.91 11.8 Mouse-3 0.82 1.31 11.7 Mean ±SEM 6.93±3.52 0.66±0.08 2.58±1.56 9.28±0.96 Table shows the percentages of CD19+ cells found in circulation in NOD/SCID/IL-2Rg-/- (NOG) mice after MSC I.V. or intra-bone marrow injection. (* Mice died after phlebotomy.) Conclusion Human MSC derived from AML bone marrows have the capacity to differentiate into CD19 positive B lymphocyte in NOG mice in vivo. It has previously been reported that AML can be propagated by a leukemic stem cell with lymphoid characteristics (Cancer Cell 2006, 10, 363-74). Data reported here suggest the possibility that AML-derived MSC give rise to lymphoid cells that engraft in NOG mice. This unexpected finding could shed light on the role of stroma cells in the pathogenesis and propagation of leukemias. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Performing hardness: Punk and self-defense in Mexico City:

Even before the ‘drug war’ put Mexico in the international spotlight for episodes of extreme violence, Mexico City had developed a reputation for violence and insecurity. For young city dwellers, the multiple forms of violence they experience have often included police repression of youth culture. Over the decades since the arrival of punk rock in 1970s Mexico City, punk scene participants have developed a discourse of self-defense as part of their response to the various acts and threats of violence that inform their daily existence. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Mexico City, this article details how punk scene participants use practices around musical performance as tools for the constitution of ‘hard’ subjects, performing violence as a means of protecting themselves from the difficulties of contemporary life in urban Mexico.
Willingness-to-pay for natural, organic, and conventional foods: The effects of information and meaningful labels

Vague food labels and distorted product claims have persisted in the “natural” food industry, while organic claims can be certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Using experimental methods and a sample of randomly selected subjects, we test food label and information treatment effects on subjects' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for organic, “natural,” and conventional foods. Random nth-price auctions are used to elicit WTP after subjects received one of five randomly assigned information treatments. We find large information effects, including asymmetric cross-market effects for natural and organic foods. Perhaps surprising is that organic premiums increase in response to subjects seeing the “natural” foods industry's perspective on its products. Demographics effects are also important. The results have practical implications for natural and organic food marketing and valuing products where there are vague claims about their attributes.
Distributed trajectory similarity search

Mobile and sensing devices have already become ubiquitous. They have made tracking moving objects an easy task. As a result, mobile applications like Uber and many IoT projects have generated massive amounts of trajectory data that can no longer be processed by a single machine efficiently. Among the typical query operations over trajectories, similarity search is a common yet expensive operator in querying trajectory data. It is useful for applications in different domains such as traffic and transportation optimizations, weather forecast and modeling, and sports analytics. It is also a fundamental operator for many important mining operations such as clustering and classification of trajectories. In this paper, we propose a distributed query framework to process trajectory similarity search over a large set of trajectories. We have implemented the proposed framework in Spark, a popular distributed data processing engine, by carefully considering different design choices. Our query framework supports both the Hausdorff distance the Frechet distance. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the excellent scalability and query efficiency achieved by our design, compared to other methods and design alternatives.
Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus breeding in a House Martin Delichon urbicum nest

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a breeding attempt by Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus in the nest of House Martins Delichon urbicum on the wall of a block of flats in Wroclaw, Poland. Urban environments may provide novel competition and costs for breeding birds.
Utility of Serological Markers for Detecting Persistent Infection in Two-Stage Revision Arthroplasty in Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis.

Abstract Background Serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are commonly used for the diagnosis of persistence of infection after the first stage of 2-stage revision arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). As both ESR and CRP are markers of systemic inflammation, the utility of these tests to monitor infection clearance in patients with inflammatory arthritis is unclear. Methods From 2001 to 2016, 44 two-stage revision total hip or knee arthroplasties in patients with an inflammatory arthritis diagnosed by a rheumatologist were identified. Persistence of infection at the time of planned second stage was defined as satisfying the Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria for PJI (14 infected, 30 noninfected). ESR and CRP values were compared between the stages using nonparametric tests. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to obtain the diagnostic parameters. Results ESR and CRP decreased between the stages in the noninfected group (ESR: mean decrease = 31.6 mm/h [19.2-44.0], P Conclusion ESR and CRP responded to the treatment of PJI in patients with inflammatory arthritis and had reasonably high specificities with moderate sensitivities. ESR and CRP appear to be useful tools in diagnosing persistent infection even in patients with inflammatory arthritis.
Can composite digital monitoring biomarkers come of age? A framework for utilization

Introduction The application of digital monitoring biomarkers in health, wellness and disease management is reviewed. Harnessing the near limitless capacity of these approaches in the managed healthcare continuum will benefit from a systems-based architecture which presents data quality, quantity, and ease of capture within a decision-making dashboard. Methods A framework was developed which stratifies key components and advances the concept of contextualized biomarkers. The framework codifies how direct, indirect, composite, and contextualized composite data can drive innovation for the application of digital biomarkers in healthcare. Results The de novo framework implies consideration of physiological, behavioral, and environmental factors in the context of biomarker capture and analysis. Application in disease and wellness is highlighted, and incorporation in clinical feedback loops and closed-loop systems is illustrated. Conclusions The study of contextualized biomarkers has the potential to offer rich and insightful data for clinical decision making. Moreover, advancement of the field will benefit from innovation at the intersection of medicine, engineering, and science. Technological developments in this dynamic field will thus fuel its logical evolution guided by inputs from patients, physicians, healthcare providers, end-payors, actuarists, medical device manufacturers, and drug companies.
Design, optimization, modeling and testing of a piezoelectric footwear energy harvester

Abstract A footwear harvester needs to fulfill both technical and practical functionalities, including but not limited to energy extracting and storage, easy implantation and durability. The very limited space in a shoe is the key challenge to the design of a footwear harvester. This paper presents the design, optimization, modeling and testing of an embedded piezoelectric footwear harvester for energy scavenging from human walking. A force amplification frame is designed and optimized to transmit and amplify the vertical heel-strike force to the inner piezoelectric stack deployed in the horizontal direction. Two heel-shaped aluminum plates are employed to gather and transfer the dynamic force over the heel to the sandwiched force amplification frames. The dynamic force at the heel is measured to design, optimize and simulate the piezoelectric footwear harvester. A numerical model is developed and validated to be capable of precisely predicting the electrical outputs of the harvester. Two prototypes, respectively including eight and six stacks, are fabricated and tested on a treadmill at different walking speeds and external resistances. The numerical simulations agree well with experiments. The harvester with fewer piezoelectric stacks could produce more power at the same walking speed and matched resistance. Experimental results manifest that the footwear harvesters with eight and six stacks, respectively, have 7 mW/shoe and 9 mW/shoe average power outputs at the walking speeds of 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h). Simulation results from the validated numerical model show that the harvester with four piezoelectric stacks could harvest 14 mW/shoe and 20 mW/shoe average power at 3.0 mph (4.8 km/h) and 3.5 mph (5.6 km/h), respectively.
Chapter 10 – Epitaxial Silicon Wafers using Plasma-Enhanced, Chemical-Vapor-Deposition

This case study involves the manufacture of epitaxial silicon wafers, an industrial chemical product used in the production of configured consumer products such as integrated circuits. The Stage-Gate Product Development Process [ 1 , 2 ] is applied for interaction with business decision-makers during the design stage. Emphasis is placed on process technology innovation; that is, a novel approach for the design of the plasma-enhanced, chemical-vapor-deposition (PECVD) reactor. For a 30-cm wafer, a new design strategy is suggested that minimizes the deposition time, for a given film thickness uniformity, by adjusting the geometry of the reactor. A moderately sized addition to an existing business is projected that takes polished wafers as a raw material and, using conventional processing techniques, along with a new reactor, produces epitaxial wafers. Profitability measures are computed as a function of wafer prices.
Antarctic atmospheric transparency at infrared and millimetre wavelengths

The Antarctic Plateau is the best site on Earth for astrophysical research from millimetre to near-infrared wavelengths. The low temperature, high elevation on top of the ice sheet, and the Polar Vortex, which blocks the infusion of moist air, result in extremely low column densities of atmospheric water vapour. These unique conditions may result in the clearest and darkest sky available from the surface of the Earth in this wavelength range.
Analgesic Use in Nonhuman Primates Undergoing Neurosurgical Procedures

Animals experiencing major invasive surgery during biomedical research must receive appropriate and sufficient analgesia. The concept of pain management in veterinary medicine has evolved over the past several decades, and a multimodal, preemptive approach to postoperative analgesia is the current standard of care. Here, the pathophysiology of pain and a multimodal approach to analgesia for neurosurgical procedures is discussed, with emphasis on those involving nonhuman primates.
Mathematical Expectation and Moments

The definition of the expectation of a random variable can be motivated both by the concept of a weighted average and through the use of the physics concept of the center of gravity, or the balancing point of a distribution of weights. We first examine the case of a discrete random variable and look at a problem involving the balancing-point concept.1
Candidemia in the cancer patient: diagnosis, treatment, and future directions.

INTRODUCTION The presence of Candida species in the blood is known as candidemia and may constitute a medical emergency for patients with cancer. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment of this fungal infection, mortality remains unacceptably high. Areas covered: This paper reviews recent advances in molecular diagnostics to detect species of Candida as well as novel antifungal agents that have been developed to address candidiasis. We also review prophylaxis strategies to prevent candidiasis in high-risk cancer patients. Expert commentary: We draw from our own experiences treating candidemia in the cancer patient and review novel diagnostic strategies involving molecular resonance and mass spectroscopy. We also explore novel chemoprophylaxis and treatment options, including new drugs such as rezafungin and SCY-078. We also look ahead, to examine how this condition will be managed in the years ahead.
Blockchain for Business Value: A Contract and Work Flow Management to Reduce Disputes Pilot Project

Blockchain technology has seen significant growth, hype, and potential new developments over the past few years. In this article additional insights into how blockchain can add value to a business process relationship is detailed. Specifically an engineering contract workflow use application pilot including various high level system architectural aspects are presented. This application shows the integration of blockchain technology with existing legacy systems. Some management and technology issues are also overviewed for the reader.
Cavity Carbon-Nanopipette Electrodes for Dopamine Detection.

Microelectrodes are typically used for neurotransmitter detection, but nanoelectrodes are not because there is a trade-off between spatial resolution and sensitivity that is dependent on surface ar...
Enhanced Data Transmission Platform in Smart Farms

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technology that incentivizes industry, agriculture and academia to develop smart platforms. One of the areas where IoT is being developed is in smart farms. IoT in agricultural systems helps farmers collect and transfer important environmental parameters in an automated way, which may lead to increased productivity and reduced labor costs. Power for distributed IoT nodes in a field is usually supplied by batteries, which drain during data transmission, and battery consumption is increased if there is a need for data retransmission in the case of packets loss. Signal strength is the main parameter for pairing nodes in data transmission, however, considerations involving CPU usage and battery life will keep IoT platform operating longer and may reduce the number of dropped packets. In this paper, we study the impact of CPU usage on packet loss and battery drain during data transmission. Our study proposes a design for an efficient data transmission platform for smart farms that takes into consideration CPU usage, signal strength and battery life.
Assessment of Variability in End-of-Life Care Delivery in Intensive Care Units in the United States.

Importance Overall, 1 of 5 decedents in the United States is admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) before death. Objective To describe structures, processes, and variability of end-of-life care delivered in ICUs in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants This nationwide cohort study used data on 16 945 adults who were cared for in ICUs that participated in the 68-unit ICU Liberation Collaborative quality improvement project from January 2015 through April 2017. Data were analyzed between August 2018 and June 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Published quality measures and end-of-life events, organized by key domains of end-of-life care in the ICU. Results Of 16 945 eligible patients in the collaborative, 1536 (9.1%) died during their initial ICU stay. Of decedents, 654 (42.6%) were women, 1037 (67.5%) were 60 years or older, and 1088 (70.8%) were identified as white individuals. Wide unit-level variation in end-of-life care delivery was found. For example, the median unit-stratified rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation avoidance in the last hour of life was 89.5% (interquartile range, 83.3%-96.1%; range, 50.0%-100%). Median rates of patients who were pain free and delirium free in last 24 hours of life were 75.1% (interquartile range, 66.0%-85.7%; range, 0-100%) and 60.0% (interquartile range, 43.7%-85.2%; range, 9.1%-100%), respectively. Ascertainment of an advance directive was associated with lower odds of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the last hour of life (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99;P = .04), and a documented offer or delivery of spiritual support was associated with higher odds of family presence at the time of death (odds ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.37-2.77;P Conclusions and Relevance In this study, end-of-life care delivery varied substantially among ICUs in the United States, and the patterns of care observed suggest that units can be characterized as higher and lower performing. To achieve optimal care for patients who die in an ICU, future research should target unit-level variation and disseminate the successes of higher-performing units.
Physical activity is associated with grit and resilience in college students: Is intensity the key to success?

Objective: To determine the independent associations among physical activity, sitting, grit, and resilience in college students. Participants: Undergraduate students (n = 244) from a regional unive...
Unexplainability and Incomprehensibility of AI

Explainability and comprehensibility of AI are important requirements for intelligent systems deployed in real-world domains. Users want and frequently need to understand how decisions impacting th...
Supramolecular Paradigm for Capture and Co-Precipitation of Gold(III) Coordination Complexes

A new supramolecular paradigm is presented for reliable capture and co-precipitation of haloauric acids (HAuX4 ) from organic solvents or water. Two classes of acyclic organic compounds act as complementary receptors (tectons) by forming two sets of directional non-covalent interactions, (a) hydrogen bonding between amide (or amidinium) NH residues and the electronegative X ligands on the AuX4- , and (b) electrostatic stacking of the electron deficient Au center against the face of an aromatic surface. X-ray diffraction analysis of four co-crystal structures reveals the additional common feature of proton bridged carbonyls as a new and predictable supramolecular design element that creates one-dimensional polymers linked by very short hydrogen bonds (CO⋅⋅⋅OC distance <2.5 A). Two other co-crystal structures show that the amidinium-π⋅⋅⋅XAu interaction will reliably engage AuX4- with high directionality. These acyclic compounds are very attractive as co-precipitation agents within new "green" gold recovery processes. They also have high potential as tectons for controlled self-assembly or co-crystal engineering of haloaurate composites. More generally, the supramolecular paradigm will facilitate the design of next-generation receptors or tectons with high affinity for precious metal square planar coordination complexes for use in advanced materials, nanotechnology, or medicine.
Biosimilar usage in practices within the ASCO PracticeNET learning network.

77Background: In recent years, several antineoplastic biosimilar products have been approved and marketed for use. We analyzed data from the ASCO PracticeNET learning network to gain insights on th...